F1 Panel: Can Max Verstappen still challenge the McLaren duo for the title?

Max Verstappen’s Barcelona clash with George Russell not only became a talking point post-race, but also dramatically changed the championship picture. With McLaren having the best car on the grid, it was always going to be a challenge for Verstappen to fight with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris – but in the first eight races, he maximised his opportunities and consistently scored points, which kept him within striking distance. But with the gap to Piastri now at 49 points, it’s difficult to imagine the Dutchman adding a fifth title to his career stats this year.

But does he still have a chance? Our international panel of editors have their say.

Not with this car

Every great F1 champion has a moment when their reign comes to an end, and that moment is approaching for Max Verstappen in 2025. There is a simple reason for this: Red Bull isn’t providing him with a car capable of winning the world championship this year.

On the other hand, McLaren has clearly come up with the dominant car in the MCL39, and both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are making the most of it. Based on what we witnessed during the Spanish Grand Prix, the restrictions on flexi-wings didn’t impact the papaya team as much as anticipated.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Verstappen has certainly proven time and again during his F1 career that he can exceed the capabilities of his machinery. Even in the current season, he secured an unlikely pole position in Suzuka, went on to win the race, and overtook Piastri at the start of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to secure his second victory.

However, that pretty much sums up the whole thing: two wins from a ‘magic’ Verstappen isn’t exactly what one would call a world championship season. For example, in the last four years that he won the title, he achieved five wins in 2021, six in 2022, seven in 2023, and six in 2024 after the first nine grands prix. Admittedly, Sebastian Vettel won the championship in 2012 with only one win by race nine, but that season didn’t feature a team as dominant as McLaren is proving to be in 2025.

Although a 49-point deficit to championship leader Piastri isn’t necessarily season-ending in itself, not even Verstappen can turn it around in Red Bull equipment that simply isn’t as fast as the McLaren cars given to Piastri and Norris.

– Federico Faturos

Difficult to imagine anyone challenging McLaren

Red Bull and Max Verstappen have a mountain to climb after the Spanish Grand Prix. Several team members – including Helmut Marko – hoped that the clampdown on flexi-wings would hurt McLaren more than Red Bull and open up the title fight. Reality is different. The pecking order hasn’t changed – at least not in Barcelona. Race nine has not been the turnaround Red Bull hoped for.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

If it doesn’t come from a technical directive, then such a turnaround is extremely difficult to achieve – in 2025 even more so than in previous years. Every team has to switch focus to 2026 relatively soon, and the budget cap doesn’t allow them to work flat-out on two projects at the same time. And just as important: Red Bull’s deficit to McLaren is not an easy one to overcome. The RB21 lacks pure pace, while the MCL39 is also much more of an all-rounder and has a bigger set-up window – not to mention what McLaren does to keep tyre temperatures under control. Catching up will be extremely complex, and with 2026 around the corner, probably too complex.

It means Verstappen’s best chance will be about continuing what he did extremely well in the first eight grands prix: maximising damage limitation. With just a 25-point gap to Oscar Piastri, he was still in a great position to capitalise on potential mistakes or any drama at McLaren later on. But after two mistakes made by Red Bull during the Spanish GP – and Verstappen losing his cool with a move that “shouldn’t have happened” – that position is now gone.

Every time we’ve asked Verstappen about his chances in a potential title fight, his response was “what title fight?”, as he feels McLaren is way too quick for a real battle. After the events on Sunday afternoon in Barcelona, those words seem correct. It’s probably too optimistic to talk about a title fight that includes anyone other than both McLaren drivers.

– Ronald Vording

Verstappen doesn’t really have any advantage over McLaren

It is really difficult to imagine how Max Verstappen can still hold on to the title race – barring some crazy scenarios in which both McLaren drivers, for one reason or another, miss a couple of races. He’d really need some help now from his main rivals and luck – but that can’t really be a strategy.

More so, Barcelona probably proved Verstappen doesn’t really have that one trump card we assumed he had in his possession. The most realistic scenario for him to actually snatch the title from his rivals pre-Barcelona was to stay consistent and collect as many points as possible until the deciding rounds – and then try to capitalise on the McLaren drivers taking points off each other. His only hope was to keep the pressure on Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – and use his chances.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Luca Martini / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images

He had been dealing with that task almost perfectly before the Spanish Grand Prix – and had the final stages of the race panned out slightly differently, he could even have won in Barcelona too, closing the gap. He wouldn’t have lost too much, at least, had he just finished third, fourth, or even fifth. But that absolutely unnecessary clash with George Russell – who plays no part in the championship – cost him dearly. So, if you count the points lost due to “unforced errors”, Verstappen isn’t really looking better than Piastri and Norris.

Now, only something close to a miracle can keep him in the race.

– Oleg Karpov

Never say “never”

Max Verstappen’s period of dominance in Formula 1 is ending. After two formidable years winning almost every race on the F1 calendar, Red Bull’s armour began rusting last year and it’s been on a downward spiral ever since.

But while the team was rocked by scandals, lost staff and saw its advantage over its rivals drop, Verstappen still won races. He remains the only non-McLaren driver to win a race this season, and while a scrappy Spanish Grand Prix saw him lose his grasp of the frontrunners a little, it still feels foolish to count the Dutchman out of the title fight just yet.

Overcoming the 49-point deficit he has to the top of the standings is a big ask, but there are still 15 races to go in 2025 – including some of Verstappen’s favourites. Teams have turned their seasons around in the latter stages before, with Red Bull itself even mounting some serious challenges in the closing stages of the F1 season before today.

So, while Verstappen faces one of his toughest challenges yet if he wants to hold onto the F1 trophy for another year, it’s a challenge I wouldn’t say was beyond his capabilities. So long as he can keep his racing clean.   

– Owen Bellwood