Things can change very quickly in the Formula 1 World Championship standings. Just a matter of weeks ago, the Drivers’ Championship was a two-horse race between the two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Now, after some brilliantly assured performances and a bunch of points, Max Verstappen is back in the running and is piling pressure on his rivals in front.

This past weekend, Verstappen closed the gap further by winning both the sprint race and the main race at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. It wasn’t a smash-and-grab performance either. The defending Formula 1 world champion showed no signs of feeling the pressure. He was consistently calm and confident.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates victory with his team during the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 19,

A big Austin weekend has put Max Verstappen firmly back in the title race

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It’s clear that his belief in his Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 car has returned, sparking his hunger for success once more. When Red Bull Racing were finishing in the lower points-scoring places before the summer break, Verstappen cut a frustrated figure, snapping at mechanics and the media, but he’s well and truly back to his imperious self now.

In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: “It doesn’t matter what they [McLaren] do. It’s up to us to be perfect until the end of the season.” He’s now just 40 points behind the current Driver’s Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, after being 104 behind just four races ago.

The races come thick and fast now, with the Mexico Grand Prix taking place on Sunday, October 26. To Verstappen’s benefit, it’s a circuit he’s mastered, having won at the high altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez five times already. He’ll be confident he can close the gap even further this weekend.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium after the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 29, 2023.

Verstappen has won five times in Mexico to date

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After that comes the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil on November 9, and while Verstappen’s won the last two races here, it has traditionally been a more unpredictable race. The weather is often changeable and the fast corners can benefit cars you’d often find fighting in the midfield

Next, is the often-maligned Las Vegas race weekend on November 23. It’s hard to learn much from the event’s history, considering it has only happened twice. However, Verstappen won its first-ever iteration, so he will be confident he can score big points once more. If he can be within 10 to 20 points of the leader by the end of this weekend, he’ll be in with a huge chance of coming out with his fifth championship.

The penultimate Grand Prix is Qatar on November 30, where Verstappen has won the last two, dominating each time, so there’s no reason it can’t happen again. The McLarens were fast here last year, too, so he’ll need to be on top of his game.

The final race of 2025 may be the most interesting of the five remaining. Verstappen has won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix four of the last five times. He’s been consistently strong here, but Lando Norris’s win in 2024 will be at the forefront of his mind.

The final two races of the calendar have the potential to be the most exciting, as they’re strong circuits for both championship rival teams. Verstappen needs to narrow the gap as much as he can before then to be in with a good chance of completing the points overhaul.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 22, 2024.

Verstappen has won in Las Vegas once and claimed the 2024 title there also

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Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 07, 2024.

The final Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could be a thrilling title decider

© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

And as he says, it doesn’t really matter how McLaren performs. He will be hoping that the internal squabbles continue and they maybe collide with each other again, but Max can do no more than continue to win.

What will be a disaster is if Verstappen doesn’t finish a race and one of the McLarens wins. He needs to keep his car on the track, stay out of trouble and focus on his own driving. The way he’s driving right now, it’s only other drivers who can stop him from racking up more and more points in the coming weeks.

What is certain is that Verstappen doesn’t need to win the Mexico Grand Prix to keep his championship hopes alive. While it’ll help, of course, he simply needs to keep the pressure on as we approach the final couple of race weekends. He has the most experience of being under championship-winning pressure, which may tell in the final few weeks. Right now, he looks unstoppable.

Part of this story

Max VerstappenAlready considered one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history, Dutch ace Max Verstappen is now a four-time Formula One world champion.