What can Max Verstappen still achieve in the fight for the world championship

What can Max Verstappen still achieve in the fight for the world championship?

Team GPFans

Tuesday 16 September 2025 05:00 Updated: 12:19

The likelihood of Max Verstappen becoming world champion in 2025 appears to be extremely slim. Yet, the Dutch driver has surprised us before. Just when it seemed as though the title fight was slipping completely out of reach, Verstappen managed to breathe new life into the battle with a convincing victory.

It was the kind of dominant performance we had not seen from him at any point earlier this season. That single result alone has rekindled hope among his many loyal fans that something might still be possible. But the question remains: how realistic is it?

With 8 races still to go, there are certainly points up for grabs and a lot can happen. If you’ve always wanted to see a Grand Prix in person, with F1 tickets 2025 you can make that dream come true and attend one of the remaining races this season. The excitement could return at a moment when no one expected it anymore, making the experience of attending a Grand Prix live even more enjoyable.

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Spectacular victory in Monza

Just when things started looking worse for Red Bull, they pulled off a convincing win in Monza. It began well already with pole position on Saturday, which Verstappen secured in style. On the lightning-fast Italian circuit, he set the fastest lap ever. That was already a surprise in itself, but few people expected things to go just as well on Sunday. What we saw was a performance reminiscent of the best days of the three-time world champion, with brilliant overtakes and a dominant victory.

The second place at Zandvoort a week earlier, already a surprise, turned out to be a prelude to more. That result partly came because Lando Norris retired, allowing Verstappen to move up to second place. In Italy, however, it was a different story. It was already clear that the Monza circuit doesn’t suit McLaren very well, though few expected them to struggle as much as they did. To make matters worse, Lando Norris suffered a botched pit stop, which dropped him behind Oscar Piastri. Piastri then had to give the place back after team orders, something he was obviously far from happy about.

Can McLaren still be caught?

There’s some tension within the team with the orange cars. Despite that, Piastri admitted after the race that he could understand the team orders, even if he wasn’t happy about them. Once he let Norris through, both drivers were free to race fairly for second place. The fact that the team allowed this has everything to do with the big lead they still hold. Verstappen trails Piastri by almost 100 points and still sits more than 60 points behind Lando Norris.

With the current points system and several sprint races still to come, things could turn quickly if Verstappen manages to find his way back up. If that happens, McLaren will undoubtedly have to change their approach. Earlier this season, the two McLaren drivers collided, causing Norris to retire. Fortunately for the team, Piastri was able to continue and even won the race. But if both drivers were to drop out simultaneously, the British team could suddenly find itself in trouble, playing right into Verstappen’s hands.

Which races are still on the calendar?

Since nothing surprises us anymore with Max Verstappen, it is crucial for the competition not to give him the feeling that anything is still possible. With 8 races remaining, plenty can still happen and a lot of points are up for grabs. In the coming weeks, the Grands Prix of Azerbaijan and Singapore will take place, after which the circus moves to North America.

At the end of October, races in the United States and Mexico will be held in Austin and Mexico City. After that comes the always spectacular Brazilian Grand Prix, followed by a return to the U.S. for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This marks the first race of a triple-header that also brings the season to a close. The last two races will be held in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Does Max Verstappen still have a chance?

Whether it is truly realistic for Max Verstappen to win the world title again is hard to say. While last weekend’s performance gives hope, the gap to the otherwise dominant McLaren drivers this season is huge. If Verstappen can build on last weekend’s momentum and start dominating again as he did a few years ago, much could still be possible.

However, what we have mainly seen this year is McLaren’s dominance, with Verstappen settling for third place behind them. In some races, he even finished significantly lower, while the Red Bull car looks far from competitive, also considering the performances of his teammates so far. That makes it all the more exciting to watch how things develop in the coming weeks.