Can Max Verstappen fight for the World Title in Formula 1? What does the situation look like after the last two consecutive victories

Ashley Davis22/09/2025

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Article by Sebastian Vasile – published Monday, September 22, 2025, 15:01 / Updated Monday, September 22, 2025 15:01

Even before the summer break in Formula 1, Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team had completely excluded the possibility of the Dutchman fighting for his fifth worldwide title in 2025.

After The great prize of Hungarythe Dutch was at 97 points Behind the leader of the overall ranking, Oscar Piastri, and Verstappen's deficit increased to 104 points after The great prize of the Netherlandsheld on “own ground”. Subsequently, he recorded two consecutive victories at Monza and to Bakuwhere Piastri has abandoned from the first round, thus reducing 35 points in his gap.

Can Verstappen fight for the world title? 69 -point deficit compared to pony

Thus before the last seven stages, in which the pilots will divide a total of 199 points (175 of races and 24 of the three remaining sprints), Verstappen has a deficit of 69 points, which raises the question if the Dutchman can fight for the world title. Given its performance in the last two stages and the difficulties encountered by McLaren, this seems possible, but not entirely.

In the last two races have been used car configurations with low levels of pressing and resistance to advancement, due to the long straight lines from Monza and Baku. By the end of the championship, however, there remains only one circuit where the use of such settings will be not only possible, but also recommended. It's about the circuit in Las Vegaswhich will host the 22nd stage, in mid-November.

Max Verstappen is “hanging on” of the last hope

Otherwise, on the other circuits remaining until the end of the season, the teams will rather look for higher levels of pressing force, and in the last races of this kind, from Hungary and the Netherlands, it has been clear that McLaren is in his own league. Since Singapore, at the end of next week, we should expect a restoration of the status we notice from the beginning of the season, and namely Piastri and Lando Norris to be in front, long before all others, and take a duel between them for the title.

Can Max Verstappen fight for the World Title in Formula 1? What does the situation look like after the last two consecutive victories

Oscar Piastri (left) Andrea Stella (center), McLaren director, Lando Norris (right). Photo: Imago

In the light of these forecasts, for Verstappen it will be almost impossible to get real in the fight for the title, despite the two consecutive victories. The only Hope of the Dutch is for McLaren to burst a civil war, similar to the 2007 season, when the internal disputes between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso allowed Kimi Raikkonen to “steal” their title, although the Finnish was 17 points ago two stages before the end of the seasonin the years when 10 points were awarded for a victory.