63 points to recover in six races: Max Verstappen’s numbers to keep his F1 championship hopes alive. Max Verstappen trails Oscar Piastri by 63 points with six races to go.

Max Verstappen may not have won the Singapore Grand Prix, but he still finished ahead of both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The trend remains positive for the Dutchman: in the four races since the summer break, he consistently gained points on Norris, and in three out of four races, he outscored Piastri. Between Zandvoort and Singapore, Red Bull’s #1 collected 86 points compared to Piastri’s 52 and Norris’ 39. This resurgence has brought Verstappen back into championship contention, but with just six races remaining, the numbers indicate that the reigning champion will need an extra step in performance to claim a fifth consecutive title — a feat that seemed almost impossible just a couple of months ago.

Currently, Verstappen trails Piastri by 63 points and Norris by 41. With six Grands Prix left, this represents a significant gap. For context, at the same stage in the 2024 season, Norris was 52 points behind Verstappen, with no other contenders in between. This time, the championship fight is a three-way battle, and Verstappen faces a larger deficit. The Hasselt-born driver is no longer fully in control of his destiny: even if he were to win every remaining race, including Sprint races (an unlikely scenario at this stage), he might still not claim the championship if Piastri consistently finishes second.

Mercedes could become an ally for Max

On average, Max Verstappen needs to outscore Oscar Piastri by 10.5 points per race to finish ahead in the championship. This is a tall order, given that the gap between first and third in a Grand Prix is only 10 points. One potential ally for Max could be Mercedes — if the Silver Arrows maintain the pace they showed in Singapore across other circuits and are able to place themselves between the McLarens. Otherwise, strong results from George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli could prove counterproductive for the Red Bull driver.

Another factor in Max Verstappen’s favor is the internal McLaren battle. At Singapore, Lando Norris cost Oscar Piastri an additional three points, and unless team orders are issued to prioritize one driver, such scenarios could repeat frequently. A collision between the two McLarens leading to a double retirement would, of course, significantly boost Verstappen’s chances of returning to full championship contention. At the moment, however, the Dutchman’s greatest opponent is arithmetic.