The Dutchman came within a hair’s breadth of a fifth consecutive title—a feat achieved only by Schumacher—but he has nonetheless confirmed his status as an absolute phenomenon: his comeback from a 104-point deficit to just 2 points behind Norris will go down in history

To keep a World Championship battle alive that seemed to have quickly boiled down to a duel between teammates, something—or someone—truly special was needed. And so, rising from a first half of the season dominated by internal friction within his team, Max Verstappen managed to reignite a 2025 season that no longer seemed within the realm of his magic. Instead, surprising even himself, the Dutchman returned to deliver impressive performances, led by a team that was once again united—under the direction of team principal Laurent Mekies, following Christian Horner’s tumultuous departure in July—and fueled by the possibility, however remote, of mounting a challenge against a McLaren that seemed so far out of reach as to be unattainable. And while the Papayas secured the Constructors’ title comfortably, with six races remaining in the championship, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri saw Max’s shadow closing in ever closer, as he managed to cut a 104-point deficit—the gap he faced after the Dutch GP—down to 12 points by the start of the Yas Marina weekend in Abu Dhabi, the penultimate race of the season. And then the title slipped away by just 2 points, a pittance considering the extra-long 24-race World Championship.

“But if I’d had a McLaren, the title would’ve been wrapped up a long time ago,” Verstappen said without mincing words, convinced that his rivals “kept the World Championship open because of too many mistakes.” The two drivers on Andrea Stella’s team, perfectly balanced throughout the championship, thus split the team’s points, and amid on-track errors, internal decisions, and a few unexpected technical issues—such as the unpredictable double disqualification of the cars in Las Vegas—Max’s impossible dream became something he could still hope for. The specter of what could have been his fifth consecutive world title—a feat achieved only by Michael Schumacher in the history of Formula 1—began to loom among the protagonists of this World Championship, shedding light on a comeback that captivated the entire motorsport audience. A comeback that, as this season drew to a close, eluded the lion Verstappen, defeated in Qatar by a McLaren that had returned to dominance and by Lando Norris, who was mathematically crowned world champion with one race remaining.

the future—  But the Briton’s success—deserved and earned on the track in a fierce three-way battle—is not enough to erase the near-feat of the Dutch Red Bull driver who, in the very year of his defeat, demonstrated more than ever what he is capable of on the track, chasing a dream with strength and tenacity that others would have abandoned long before, and doing so with a mental freedom, a lightheartedness free of all pressure, which gave us the finest chapter of his journey in motorsport. Max, who will return to racing in 2026 with the number 33 and will relinquish the number 1 of the reigning world champions, will line up at the start of the season aware that the new regulatory changes will dictate the future course of his career: “My contract expires in 2028, but everything will depend on the new rules,” the Dutchman admitted in Qatar, “and whether they’re enjoyable and fun. If they aren’t fun, then I really don’t see any reason to stay.” A statement that speaks to Verstappen’s consistency, evident on the track in 2025 as well: racing, and doing so to the best of his ability, when it matters. Winning, having fun, giving it his all until the very end. And you can’t come away defeated from a World Championship when you race the way Max Verstappen has.