It’s incredibly exciting, and mildly terrifying; Verstappen’s wild ride back into the title fight – Two months ago, anyone suggesting there would be a three-way Formula 1 title fight would have been gently escorted to the paddock gates and told to drink some water.
At that point, Max Verstappen trailed Oscar Piastri by 100 points, McLaren appeared unbeatable, and Red Bull were seeing McLarens disappear into the distance. Yet here we are: with four races to go, there are just 36 points between Piastri, Norris and Verstappen. Suddenly, the world championship looks like a particularly violent episode of Wacky Races.
FIA presidential candidate sues the FIA
Ralf Schumacher rubs his hands together in delight
Ralf Schumacher, who has been enjoying life as Formula 1’s uncle with opinions, is practically giddy with excitement about the chaos. He told Sky that Lando Norris currently looks like the man to beat — mainly because he’s smiling again, relaxed, and enjoying beating his teammate.
“Norris is on top,” said Ralf, as though Lando had just discovered levitation. “He feels comfortable, seems relaxed, is smiling, he’s really enjoying himself again.”
Meanwhile, poor Oscar Piastri, once the icy, precise McLaren prodigy, has started making errors that have boosted Norris’s confidence and given Verstappen a glimmer of hope.
“It’s incredibly exciting, very close,” added Ralf, probably clutching his espresso like a suspense novel. “Verstappen is pushing from behind, and that’s definitely worrying them both.”
‘Hamilton replacement at Ferrari’
The Comeback King Sharpens his crown
Despite dropping off the title radar earlier this season, Verstappen has spent the last six races quietly reminding everyone that he’s still Max Verstappen: a man capable of breaking lap records, radios and, occasionally, his engineers’ patience.
He has finished on the podium six times in a row, hauling a car that is only ‘sort of’ working back into contention through sheer Dutch stubbornness and aerodynamic wizardry.
Verstappen hasn’t just re-entered the title conversation; he’s kicked the door in, grabbed a chair, and started shouting split times. Every lap exudes the quiet rage of a man who’s realised he might just steal his fifth world championship from under the increasingly nervous noses of the McLaren duo.
Ralf’s Brazil prophecy
According to Schumacher, the next race in Brazil could turn this already chaotic title fight into a full-blown Brazilian soap opera. Interlagos, with its combination of altitude, sweeping corners and unpredictable weather, is the kind of track that could suit Verstappen’s aggressive driving style, assuming his RB21 doesn’t perform as poorly as it did in Mexico.
“Next weekend is absolutely crucial,” Ralf warned, adopting his best clairvoyant tone.
“He needs to close the gap and might also need a little help.”
Ralf did concede, however, that while Red Bull wasn’t quite back to its ‘old form’ in Mexico, Verstappen’s second stint on the soft tyres was ‘incredibly strong’. In F1 pundit-speak, this means: ‘He made everyone else look like they were driving rental cars.’
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The chaos continues
Now, with the title race still wide open, the paddock turns its attention to Brazil. Piastri, once the calm and collected rookie darling, now looks slightly rattled. Meanwhile, Norris, glowing with newfound self-belief, suddenly seems capable of turning friendship bracelets into championship trophies. And Verstappen?
Well, he’s Verstappen. He’s the man who refuses to yield, even when the odds are against him.
Formula 1 has seen many title fights before, but this one feels different. It’s not just about pace; it’s about pressure, psychology and who can laugh through the chaos for the longest time. As Ralf Schumacher said, “It’s incredibly exciting”. And, for once, he’s right: it’s thrilling, unpredictable and faintly absurd.
If Verstappen really does pull this off, don’t be surprised if he crosses the finish line in Brazil, grabs the microphone, and thanks McLaren personally for holding onto his fifth title.
So, jury, what do you think? Has Verstappen got one last masterstroke left in him?
MORE F1 NEWS – Toto Wolff admits to remaining bitter over 2021 result, although the facts suggest Masi got it right
Toto Wolff has now admitted that not even christian Horner who was his fiercest adversary has him as riled as former race director Michael Massa who he claims decided the 2021 F1 drivers’ title race against his driver Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has reignited his feud with former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi, describing him as a “lunatic” nearly four years after the infamous 2021 title decider. The Austrian also accused the ex-FIA official of having “destroyed the record of the greatest champion of all time,” referring to Lewis Hamilton.
The bitter comments recall the fallout from the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, one of the most controversial moments in F1 history. Hamilton appeared on course to claim a record-breaking eighth world title after dominating most of the race, only for a late safety car period to turn the outcome on its head.
Wolff’s iconic moment of outrage
A crash late in the race by Williams Nikolas Latiffi brought out the safety car, with Hamilton comfortably leading Max Verstappen. However, Masi made the unusual decision to allow only certain lapped cars to un-lap themselves, then hurriedly ended the safety car period before the final lap — ensuring the championship would be decided under racing conditions.
The call left Hamilton defenceless on heavily worn tyres, while Verstappen, armed with fresh rubber, swept past on the final lap to clinch his first World Championship — and deny Hamilton what would have been a historic eighth crown.
Wolff’s outrage in the Mercedes garage that day became an enduring image of the chaotic finale. Television cameras caught him slamming his headset onto the desk in fury after radioing Masi with the now-iconic words: “Michael, this is so not right.”
Yet given that most passions have faded over the issue, its time to re-examine what happened in Abu Dhabi from a dispassionate point of view, given a number of issues unknown at the time have since come to light…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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Well – I for one SO HOPE MV can pull it off. After all, who is the BEST DRIVER in F1? Shouldn’t that man be the Champion? No contest for THAT title – HAS to be MAX