During the Singapore Grand Prix press conference, drivers were asked about Max Verstappen’s chances of winning the 2025 drivers’ championship. Despite the gap in the standings to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Verstappen remains a benchmark for his peers, who didn’t hesitate to share their opinions with percentages.
Russell says 100%, Ocon responds
Lando Norris was the first to answer, taking a cautious approach: “There’s a chance, so more than zero. I couldn’t give a precise number, but yes, there’s a chance.”
Esteban Ocon showed more confidence in the three-time world champion: “We all know how dangerous Max can be when there’s something to grab. If he has a competitive car until the end, there’s a good chance he can catch up.”
However, the highlight was George Russell’s comment, who without hesitation said a flat “100%!”, triggering laughter from everyone and prompting Ocon’s playful reply: “Good friend.”
Leclerc, Hadjar, and Albon remain cautious
Later in the press conference, Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, and Alex Albon were asked the same question. Leclerc remained rational, assigning a 20% chance: “The gap is substantial. We raced on low-downforce tracks like Monza and Baku, where Red Bull was very strong. But I expect McLaren to return to the level shown for much of the season on tracks like Singapore. It’s very unlikely, even if the upgrade introduced at Monza seems to work well.”
Hadjar agreed with Leclerc but lowered the probability further: “I agree with Charles, but I’d say 10%. It’s still a decent number, considering Max is 69 points behind Oscar.”
Finally, Alex Albon opted for a middle ground: “I’d say 15%. Just one contact or incident between Lando and Oscar, and everything opens up again. I don’t know the bookmakers’ odds, but 15% seems realistic to me.”
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