A title fight that ended an era – In 2025, Formula 1 witnessed the end of an era. After four consecutive world championships, Max Verstappen was finally dethroned. The driver who stopped the Dutchman’s reign was Lando Norris, who claimed his first Formula 1 title with McLaren after a dramatic and controversial season finale. Verstappen finished second overall, narrowly missing out on a fifth consecutive crown.
However, Norris’ triumph did not come without debate. McLaren’s management of its two drivers was one of the most widely discussed topics of the season, with repeated team orders influencing the outcome of the championship.
McLaren’s controversial strategy
Throughout the second half of the 2025 season, McLaren clearly prioritised Norris in the title fight. Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for much of the year, was repeatedly asked to play the team game. The Australian complied with instructions to let Norris through or to avoid fighting him on the track, even when his own championship chances were still alive.
While these decisions ultimately paid off for McLaren, securing the drivers’ title with Norris and strong results overall, they left many fans and observers feeling dissatisfied. Piastri eventually finished third in the championship, despite being one of the most consistent performers of the season.
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Verstappen’s uncompromising stance
The situation naturally led to comparisons with Max Verstappen. Would the four-time world champion ever accept such a role within a team? According to Verstappen himself, the answer is a clear and emphatic no.
As reported by the NextGen Auto website, Verstappen was blunt when asked whether he would have obeyed McLaren-style team orders if he had been in Piastri’s position. “Would I have accepted it instead of Piastri? Absolutely not,” he said.
“If you do that once without a clear reason, you’re selling your soul. The team can then do whatever they want with you.”
He also pointed out a key detail that is often overlooked in the debate: “Let’s not forget one thing, Piastri was right in the middle of the title fight.”
For Verstappen, sacrificing personal ambitions without decisive justification crosses a line.
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Different mentalities, different drivers
Verstappen’s comments highlight the stark contrast in mentality between drivers. While Piastri prioritised loyalty and discipline, Verstappen has built his career on an uncompromising approach, always racing for himself first. This mindset has defined his success at Red Bull and explains why team orders have rarely played a role in his championship campaigns.
This difference also fuels speculation about how Verstappen would ever fit into a team like McLaren under such circumstances. His response suggests that achieving harmony would be challenging if his own title ambitions were not fully respected.
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A rivalry set to reignite in 2026
As the 2026 season approaches, the stage is set for another explosive duel. Norris will be eager to defend his newly won crown, while Verstappen will be determined to reclaim what he sees as his. Their first clash of the new season is scheduled for 8 March in Australia.
If 2025 was controversial, 2026 promises to be even more so.
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How competitive he will be in Formula 1’s new era, which begins in 2026, depends largely on one decisive factor: the power unit developed by Red Bull Powertrains in partnership with Ford.
Although the four-time world champion has dominated recent seasons, the sweeping regulation changes for 2026 mean that nothing can be taken for granted. Now, a technical controversy is adding extra tension to the countdown.
Rumours are fuelling growing tensions in the paddock
Formula 1 appears to be heading towards a new technical dispute. Rumours are circulating in the paddock that Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains/Ford may have found a way to boost their power units’ performance without formally breaching the regulations. According to rival manufacturers, this alleged ‘trick’ could deliver a substantial power boost under the 2026 ruleset.
At the heart of the discussion is the engine’s compression ratio. For 2026, the FIA has set a static compression ratio of 16:1, measured at ambient temperature during scrutineering. However, critics claim that certain manufacturers may be exploiting thermal expansion during engine operation to effectively raise that ratio when the engine is running at full temperature…READ MORE
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.
