Kimi Antonelli on Max Verstappen: “A cannibal who cannot be counted out”. Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli believes Max Verstappen should never be counted out of the 2025 F1 title fight.

49 points behind Lando Norris with three weekends remaining, including an upcoming Sprint, Max Verstappen’s situation is not the most favorable at the moment. In Las Vegas, the very place where he secured his fourth World Championship last year, he could mathematically be eliminated from the title fight on Sunday.

For this to happen, Lando Norris would need to score nine points more than the Dutch driver. If the British driver finished first and Verstappen third, he would gain ten points more. A possible scenario, but at the moment still unlikely.

Kimi Antonelli still believes in Verstappen

In 2024, McLaren was the top team most affected by low temperatures. Furthermore, the four-time world champion will arrive in Las Vegas with an almost new power unit, freshly installed in Interlagos, which should give him an extra edge in performance compared to his main rivals.

It might therefore be too early to rule Max Verstappen out of the fight. Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli shares this belief. Speaking to ‘Blick’, he said: “Norris is currently the favorite and Oscar Piastri still has chances. But with him, Max Verstappen also has a shot. He’s a cannibal; for years he has been the benchmark for everything. You can never count him out,” the Italian concluded, according to ‘GPBlog.com’.