A new twist has emerged in the Formula 1 title fight, as Max Verstappen refuses to give up on the 2025 championship. Despite McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris sitting ahead of him in the standings, several experts believe the reigning champion could still stage an extraordinary comeback in the final races of the season. With six races remaining, Verstappen’s determination and growing momentum have reignited talk of a potential title charge.
McLaren’s dominance this season has been undeniable. Piastri leads the standings after claiming seven victories, while Norris follows closely behind with consistent podium finishes and two wins. Yet Verstappen’s persistence has kept him within striking distance. With four wins and nine podium finishes, the Dutchman is a constant threat and is ready to exploit any opportunity presented by the McLaren duo.
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Villeneuve believes that Verstappen can rise again
Villeneuve is among those who believe in Verstappen’s late-season surge. Speaking at the 2025 Festival dello Sport di Trento, the Canadian expressed his belief that Verstappen still has what it takes to turn the tide in his favour. He told Canal+ that this could be Verstappen’s most impressive title yet if he manages to overturn the deficit.
“It will be his best world championship,” he said. “The two McLaren drivers are under immense pressure, and they need to step up their game. Max is simply the best, not just because of his skill, but because he’s ‘old school’. He’s excellent on the simulator, but he’s even better on the track. He picks up on things in testing that others miss. He often gives his engineers instructions that contradict the data, and yet he is right time and again. No other driver does that because no one else is as good as him.”
Villeneuve’s comments highlight not only Verstappen’s technical insight, but also his adaptability. Throughout his career, he has been praised for his instinctive understanding of a car’s balance and his ability to communicate precisely what needs improving. According to Villeneuve, this gives him an edge over younger competitors who rely heavily on data-driven decision-making.
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Herbert sees a possible upset
Another voice lending cautious support to Verstappen’s title ambitions is former F1 driver and commentator Johnny Herbert. He acknowledges that, while the odds are not in Verstappen’s favour, circumstances could still play into his hands.
“Realistically, he probably doesn’t have much of a chance if the other two continue to perform the way they have so far,” he said. ‘He’ll need a bit of luck, and that luck would come if the McLarens take points off each other and hand them to Max. That’s his biggest opportunity.”
Herbert also emphasised the positive evolution of Verstappen’s relationship with his car.
“You can’t rule him out. He seems very comfortable with the car again. The balance is improving, and the harmony he has right now is exactly what he needed,” he noted.
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The momentum is on Verstappen’s side
Momentum is a crucial factor at this stage of the season, and Verstappen appears to have rediscovered his. While Piastri has not stood on the top step of the podium since Verstappen’s home race in the Netherlands on 31 August, the Dutchman’s recent performances suggest that Red Bull has made strides in car development. Engineers have reportedly improved the balance and rear stability of the RB21, two weaknesses that plagued the team earlier in the season. These adjustments have enabled Verstappen to achieve more consistent results, particularly in qualifying, where he has started to close the gap to McLaren.
Verstappen thrives in high-pressure situations, so the current scenario could bring out his best qualities. Having already secured four world titles, he knows what it takes to manage a championship run under intense scrutiny. If McLaren falter, due to reliability issues, driver errors or strategic missteps, Verstappen could seize the moment.
A psychological battle lies ahead
Beyond the mechanical and strategic aspects, this late-season push may ultimately depend on mental resilience. Villeneuve’s observation that the McLaren pair are struggling under pressure suggests an emerging psychological duel. Both Piastri and Norris are chasing their first world championship, and the added tension of an experienced rival closing in could affect their performance in crucial situations.
As the season draws to a close, every race will carry immense weight. Circuits such as Suzuka, Austin and Interlagos reward precision and driver confidence — areas in which Verstappen has historically excelled. If he continues to build on his current form, the final races could turn into a three-way thriller.
Backed by renewed confidence and technical improvements, Verstappen’s resurgence ensures that the 2025 Formula 1 season is far from decided.
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With Lewis Hamilton’s signature captured and the seven times world Formula One champion driver joining the Ferrari team in 2025, hopes were high for a marriage made in heaven. Having suffered the ignominy of sixteen long years without winning either F1 title, the iconic Italian squad is staring down the barrel of a record length of drought without championship glory the year.
Hamilton’s move to Maranello was also one which sought redemption for the British driver, who since being defeated in spectacular fashion by Max Verstappen on the last lap of the last race in 2021 had suffered his worst run in the sport.
With just two race wins in almost four years, Hamilton is facing up to the fact he is unlikely to even make the podium this year as Ferrari’s fortunes have collapsed. The biggest mistake the senior management made was by choosing to build an all new car for 2025 during the last year of a set of FIA design regulations
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The SF-24 was a very good machine which saw Charles Leclerc score more points than any other driver following the 2024 summer break. The team too overhauled a 79 point deficit following the Singapore Grand Prix falling short of the constructor’s title in Abu Dhabi by just 14 points to McLaren.
Fred Vasseur announced to the Italian media at the Maranello festive bash that for 2025, “The car will be completely new; I think we’ll have less than 1% of the parts in common with the 2024 car.” This writer penned at the time this appeared to…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
