Max Verstappen’s incredible fightback from the Dutch GP: how he closed the gap to McLaren. Since the Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has staged an incredible comeback against McLaren.

Max Verstappen is once again writing a remarkable chapter in the history of Formula 1. Since his home race at the Dutch Grand Prix, the four-time world champion has launched a spectacular comeback against both McLaren drivers. After the race in Austin, the 2025 World Championship is now wide open once again — it’s officially a three-way fight. Here’s a detailed look at all the points Max Verstappen has gained on McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri since Zandvoort.

Following a more complicated start to the season than expected, Verstappen has delivered a sensational run after the summer break. He has taken victories at Monza, Baku and the Circuit of the Americas, along with a valuable second place at Singapore’s Marina Bay. What makes this streak even more crucial is that he has consistently finished ahead of both McLaren drivers in every race since the break — a decisive factor in the championship standings.

A masterful recovery built on consistency and speed

Max Verstappen’s comeback is the result of a perfect combination of talent, experience, and a Red Bull that finally seems to have returned to the dominant level that characterized its previous seasons. On the other hand, McLaren has slightly lost momentum. A noticeable drop in performance, coupled with a few costly mistakes from both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, has allowed Max Verstappen to close the gap in the standings and reignite a world championship fight that seemed almost decided before the summer break.

Let’s take a closer look at Verstappen’s steady recovery since the Dutch Grand Prix. After Zandvoort, he trailed Piastri by 104 points. His victory at Monza reduced the gap to 94 points. Another dominant performance in Baku brought it down further to 69, and his strong second place in Singapore cut it to 63. Finally, with his win in the United States Grand Prix, Verstappen has slashed the difference to just 40 points — fully re-entering the title fight.

A title race reignited

In total, Max Verstappen has recovered a massive 64 points on McLaren’s leading duo, averaging an impressive 16 points gained per weekend over the past four rounds. With five races still remaining in the season — including two Sprint weekends — everything is still up for grabs. The fight between Red Bull and McLaren is set to go down to the wire, and Max Verstappen looks hungrier than ever to reclaim control of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.