Follow us on Google Discover Max Verstappen is still in the hunt for the 2025 Formula 1 title with six races to go, but he’s definitely an outsider.
He’ll probably accept having any chance of winning a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship, just weeks after being considered out of the running. His oath of commitment to Red Bull has turned out positively for him, and they have steadily built some momentum.
Upcoming tracks should suit Verstappen a bit more than the street circuits in Baku and Singapore, but they will also play to McLaren’s strengths, too. Somewhere along the line, some luck in the form of a retirement from his rivals is going to be required for him to come out on top.
Verstappen confirmed a Red Bull ‘theory’ that the team’s approach to setting their car up had been wrong, causing them to leave time on the table this season. Red Bull left Singapore ‘disappointed’ with Verstappen and felt as though a more aggressive approach to the balance of his RB21 could have helped them to win.
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesMax Verstappen isn’t outscoring the McLaren drivers by enough to win the 2025 F1 title
Verstappen will love McLaren admitting they were slow in Singapore, and that they don’t exactly have an explanation for why they couldn’t meet expectations. He’ll be hoping that the issues they faced carry over to the next event in Texas.
He has beaten both of their drivers in three straight weekends, but the statistics suggest that he needs to be doing even more to take the title to the final race in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen revealed Singapore was ‘difficult’ to manage, but that’s going to be the case with every race from now on.
In the four Grands Prix since the summer break, the Dutchman has outscored Oscar Piastri by 34 points (8.5 per event). With six opportunities left, he needs to outscore his Aussie rival by 63 points to draw level after the season finale (10.5 per event).
That means he needs to find an extra two points per weekend on his rival somewhere. Three sprint races in the United States, Brazil, and Qatar should help, but only if he capitalises on the opportunity presented to him. A retirement would end any hope he has.
As for Lando Norris, taking care of the gap to Piastri should see him pass him anyway. With the way tensions are increasing at the Woking-based outfit, keeping it clean on track should be their priority for now.
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty ImagesWhy McLaren have an extra advantage over Max Verstappen in 2025
Having two cars in the final quarter of the season could be a massive advantage for McLaren. They will be able to manipulate their strategy however they would like.
While Yuki Tsunoda continues to struggle, Red Bull are going to need to get creative to find a way to beat their rivals.
Verstappen is afraid of Red Bull’s 2026 engine and needs to capitalise on every chance he gets to win before the new regulations.
If his team starts poorly next year, it could set them back for some time. He doesn’t know whether this will be his last ever chance to win with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.