Max Verstappen and Red Bull lit up the end of the 2025 season with a comeback that fell just two points short of what would have been a sensational defense of the world championship. The Dutch driver still had the satisfaction of being the one with the most race wins in 2025, claiming eight victories compared to seven for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
What Verstappen showed this season has perhaps cemented his talent even more than the four world titles he had previously won. Jacques Villeneuve shares this view: “Max has shown why he belongs among the greats of this sport, alongside Senna, Prost, Mansell, and the legends who came before them,” the Canadian said in an interview with Poker Scout. “He never stops. He is relentless. He is a pure, passionate driver, and that is exactly what the fans want to see. That is what you expect from champions. If he is given the chance, he can reach seven or eight world titles.”
In 2026, Red Bull will be ‘completely new,’ not only in terms of regulations but also as a team in terms of management structure, especially since Helmut Marko will no longer be with the team. “Helmut Marko’s departure from Red Bull was a big shock because we all thought it might have been a power struggle between Horner and Marko, but now both are out, so it wasn’t a power game,” Jacques Villeneuve added. “It’s simply that the team is changing its skin; it was natural that the old guard would leave sooner or later.”
The 2025 season highlighted Max Verstappen’s relentless competitive spirit, earning him comparisons to the greatest legends in Formula 1 history from figures like Jacques Villeneuve. As Red Bull undergoes a total management overhaul heading into 2026, the question remains whether the team’s new era can sustain the championship-winning momentum required for Verstappen to reach the milestone of seven or eight world titles.
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