Three talking points from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

He did not win, but in finishing within a whisker of George Russell's triumphant Mercedes on Saturday, Max Verstappen showed he could be a factor in this year's drivers' title race. With at least seven races to go, depending on the survival of the season-ending events in the Middle East, the four-time champion's pace and commitment in his resurgent Red Bull could upset Mercedes' supremacy. As championship leader Kimi Antonelli showed signs of vulnerability in Baku, even with a 66-point cushion, AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Saturday's dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix: - Verstappen remains a force - Having signed a new contract to settle his future and driving a car that is rapidly improving, Verstappen is chasing a long-awaited 72nd victory. He has not won since last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and is in danger of completing a season winless for the first time since he joined Red Bull 10 years ago. Given McLaren's inconsistency and Ferrari's recent decline, he and team-mate Isack Hadjar can emerge as the chief threat to Mercedes as the F1 circus flies to Asia for a Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia followed by the Singapore race. "I was close and it was fun," said Verstappen...