Max Verstappen concluded the 2025 F1 season in second place in the Drivers’ Championship, but many believe the true winner is him after analyzing his nearly flawless performance throughout the year. After securing four consecutive world titles, the reigning King of Formula 1 was hunting for his fifth. However, it wasn’t meant to be: an RB21 that was far too deficient in the first half of the season seemed to prevent the Dutchman from even mounting a title charge. Yet, a miraculous turnaround occurred in the second half. Let’s break down Verstappen’s 2025 F1 season step by step.
Chasing the pack: Two victories and a costly error
The 2025 championship didn’t start on a high note for Max Verstappen. Despite a second-place finish in the season opener (partly due to an error by Oscar Piastri during a rain shower), the lack of raw performance from the RB21 was deeply concerning. A fourth-place finish in China followed, serving as a prelude to a stunning victory in Japan. That win at Suzuka was earned through a fantastic qualifying lap on Saturday, followed by a masterclass in pure strategy to hold off the two McLarens on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
Following this victory, Max secured a second-place finish in Jeddah but struggled through anonymous races in Bahrain and Miami. He returned to the top step at Imola, thanks to a lightning start and impeccable race management. But then, the darkness set in: Verstappen managed only two podiums between then and the Dutch GP (Canada and Zandvoort). The responsibility lay squarely with the RB21’s lack of pace. During this period, Red Bull also faced a massive internal revolution, which ultimately saw Christian Horner depart the team.
The Milton Keynes squad seemed lost. Max endured a string of lackluster races, mixed with others where he pushed the limit, but the car simply wouldn’t respond. We even saw flashes of the “old Max” during a heated episode with George Russell in Spain—a clear reflection of the chaos engulfing Red Bull at the time. A retirement in Austria followed a collision with Kimi Antonelli, resulting in the loss of fundamental points that would prove decisive in the long run.
The furious comeback and the outlook for 2026
Following the Dutch Grand Prix, Red Bull took a significant developmental leap forward. Unsurprisingly, Max Verstappen’s immense talent took that improvement and turned it into constant front-running results. He won six races before the season concluded, totaling more wins than anyone else on the grid and reopening a Drivers’ Championship that seemed to be safely in McLaren’s pocket.
Though the title slipped away by a mere two points at the Abu Dhabi finale, for many, Max is the “moral winner” of this championship. His talent is boundless; he managed to claw back a deficit of over 100 points against the “papaya” duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri by driving at a level perhaps never seen before. This season has definitively consecrated him among the legends of F1—as if there were any doubt left.
Now, Verstappen is focused solely on 2026. If the testing rumors are confirmed, Red Bull appears to have a major advantage on the engine side, similar to Mercedes. If the aerodynamic package is even remotely competitive, there is no doubt that Max will fight for the 2026 title, eager to claim his fifth crown. With the maturity he has reached in recent years, it will be incredibly difficult for his rivals to defeat him unless they possess a clearly superior car. We have learned one thing for certain: if the Red Bull is within two or three-tenths of the lead, Verstappen is still the man ahead of everyone else.
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