F1 champion Max Verstappen faces DISASTER as Red Bull star tipped to lose title

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen faces DISASTER as champion tipped to lose title

Max Verstappen will hunt for a fifth consecutive title in 2025

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 12 January 2025 20:57

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Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has been predicted to surrender his world championship crown to Lando Norris this year, in what would be a disastrous result for the Dutchman.

Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive title with two races to spare last season, overcoming the RB20's foibles to secure nine race victories and stay ahead of his rivals.

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However, Red Bull's issues - which ultimately saw them finish behind both McLaren and Ferrari in the constructors' standings - led to Verstappen suffering a 10-race win drought, allowing Norris back into the championship fight.

Verstappen prevailed however, and became the first driver since Nelson Piquet in 1983 to win the drivers' title when his team could only finish third in the constructors' standings.

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were involved in a fierce championship battle in 2024

Max Verstappen is now a four-time world champion

Who will win 2025 F1 championship?

While this astonishing feat further cemented Verstappen's legacy as one of the greatest drivers of all-time, it has been suggested that he will struggle to secure a fifth title in 2025, if Red Bull's issues persist.

The Milton Keynes outfit lost design legend Adrian Newey, who will join Aston Martin in 2025, as well as several other key personnel in 2024.

Now, a predictive supercomputer has forecasted that Verstappen will not win the drivers' title in 2025, with Norris instead considered to be the favourite.

CardPlayer.com's predictive model has suggested that Norris will finish the season on 380 points, eight ahead of Verstappen, predicting a thrilling championship battle similar to his battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

Hamilton himself has been predicted to finish third, 49 points behind Norris in what would be a stunning first season for the Brit in Ferrari red, finishing above new team-mate Charles Leclerc.