The dream of winning another Formula 1 World Championship seems to have slipped away for Max Verstappen, but the Dutch driver is not giving up completely. Even though the title now appears out of reach, he remains determined to fight for more Grand Prix victories in the remaining races of the season.
Another comeback from Verstappen
Once again, Max Verstappen delivered an extraordinary performance at the Interlagos circuit. Just like last year, when he climbed from seventeenth to first place under torrential rain, this time he mounted another spectacular recovery — from the pit lane all the way to third place at the finish line. However, Lando Norris’s victory effectively ended Verstappen’s hopes of claiming a remarkable fifth consecutive world title.
During the traditional post-race press conference, the Dutchman openly admitted that his championship challenge had been compromised much earlier in the year, pointing to Red Bull’s lack of pace in the first two-thirds of the season. His words left little room for interpretation, marking the first time Verstappen has clearly acknowledged the end of his title ambitions.
An almost impossible gap
“How many points are we behind now, 49? So yeah… I mean, it’s not like we lost the championship here,” Verstappen told reporters at Interlagos. “We lost the championship from the first race all the way to Zandvoort. We had many weekends where we just weren’t fast enough. When that happens, obviously a big gap starts to open. Then we had a few good moments where we recovered some points, but not enough. That’s how this season has gone.”
With those words, the reigning world champion seemed to accept that the battle for the title is over. His reflections also underline the key issues that have affected Red Bull’s RB21 throughout 2025 — inconsistency in performance, limited tire management, and an inability to match the pace of rivals such as McLaren and Ferrari over a full race weekend. Despite occasional flashes of brilliance, the Dutchman and his team have been forced to acknowledge that their dominance of previous years has been broken.
Looking ahead to the final races
Although the title is now out of reach, Verstappen’s motivation remains strong. He made it clear that he still aims to end the season on a high by winning more races. With Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi still to come, there are three final opportunities to add to his tally of victories this year.
“Will we be competitive there? They’re very different tracks, so it’s hard to say for sure,” said the Red Bull driver. “I think we’re still having some difficulties with the tires, so it will depend on the layout of the track and the temperatures. We can get good results, but not always. That’s what we have to focus on. That’s what we’ll concentrate on in the next races.”
His comments highlight a pragmatic but determined mindset: Max Verstappen may have accepted the loss of the championship, but he remains focused on securing strong finishes and maintaining momentum heading into 2026. For the three-time world champion, every remaining race still represents a chance to remind the paddock that, even when the title slips away, his hunger for victory never fades.
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