F1 World Title

F1 team boss shows no hesitation in Max Verstappen title win prediction

Max Verstappen has an outside chance of winning his fifth world title

Jan Bolscher Senior Editor en Formule 1-verslaggever

Geaccrediteerde sportjournalist, doet verslag vanuit de Formule 1-paddock sinds 2019

Wednesday 3 December 2025 15:27

An F1 team boss has thrown a strong and bold prediction over Max Verstappen winning the title at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Now serving as Sauber (and soon to be Audi) team principal, Jonathan Wheatley, who worked closely with Verstappen during his time at Red Bull, remains upbeat about the championship battle.

Verstappen fought back impressively after a challenging season start. In the latter half of the year, he secured podium finishes in nearly every race and claimed wins in Monza, Baku, Austin, Las Vegas, and Qatar. A strategic mistake by McLaren in Qatar further tightened his grip on the title race.

No boring race

Wheatley highlighted Verstappen’s flawless performance in Qatar and pointed to an electrifying championship battle with three contenders.

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“We’ve all talked about Max—he put in another spotless race here,” he said. “And when it comes to the title, people have been wondering for weeks if he still has a chance. It’s certainly not going to be a dull contest with three drivers in the mix.”

Position	Driver	Team	Points
1	Lando Norris	McLaren	408
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	396
3	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	392

How the three drivers can win the F1 title

Great strategic team

The former Red Bull Sporting Director also commended the work of Red Bull’s strategic team, led by Hannah Schmitz.

“Red Bull has an exceptional strategic unit that has been consistently strong over the years. Hannah has really been able to thrive in that environment, and it’s fantastic to see her getting more recognition,” Wheatley added.

When asked who he believed would win the championship, his answer was clear: “Max.”

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Red Bull Max Verstappen Jonathan Wheatley