The 2025 Formula 1 season has been marked by unpredictable turns, and the biggest question haunting fans is whether Max Verstappen can achieve the impossible, overcoming all adversities to claim his fifth consecutive world championship. After a dramatic Baku Grand Prix, where Oscar Piastri channeled Felipe Massa’s classic 2008 Silverstone performance and Lando Norris once again proved he truly shines only with a significant advantage, the championship battle has become incredibly compelling. Notably, Max Verstappen, who has seemingly struggled with a car that wasn’t even the second-fastest for most of the season, is quietly threatening the two McLaren drivers’ dominance.

What’s more alarming for the competition is that every time Red Bull has had the second-fastest car—or even a car on par with or slightly ahead of McLaren—Max Verstappen not only seizes the opportunity but also reminds everyone that no one is on his level. It’s no exaggeration to say that Max has been the best driver of the season, despite the technical challenges. So, what if an “unthinkable” scenario were to become a reality? Could Max pull it off, especially with rumors of positive changes within the Red Bull team?

Red Bull’s Resurgence: How Laurent Mekies Changed the Game

Imagine a world where 90% of Red Bull’s problems stemmed from former leadership, and the arrival of Laurent Mekies as a replacement was exactly what the team needed. Since Mekies took over as CEO of TPN, the car seems faster, and the drivers appear happier. Max has shown incredible confidence in his car, even when it fails him, and Yuki Tsunoda is starting to regain his peak form. When the Red Bull car can compete on equal footing with the MCL39, Max Verstappen simply “obliterates” the competition.

With recent upgrades proving highly effective, coupled with a new leadership that actually listens to its staff, could Max make it happen? Although McLaren still possesses the fastest car and, more importantly, the best tires—which could see Max overtaken late in races due to tire degradation (similar to Miami)—hope remains.

The arrival of Laurent Mekies appears to have turned the team’s fortunes around. Mekies isn’t a simple fix for every issue, as the team still faces many long-term challenges. However, he has clearly brought a more mechanical focus to the team, and given the car’s dismal state from last year to now, this is precisely the direction Red Bull needed. Furthermore, we all know that when Max Verstappen sniffs an opportunity, he goes for it 1000%. So, while the chances are slim, let’s analyze how Max Verstappen can still become the world champion.

The Tumultuous 2025 Journey: The Decisive Races

To better understand Max’s path to victory, we need to look back at the 2025 season so far. After winning the 2024 championship, Red Bull started strong, but their car’s performance then took a nosedive, ceding ground to McLaren and Ferrari. By 2025, Ferrari had shot themselves in the foot, leaving McLaren as the clear dominant force, with all other rivals chasing from behind.

The strangest part of the preseason was the inconsistency of Max’s Red Bull: sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Max himself described the car as either feeling “good” or “like a pile of dogsh*t.”

Australia: A huge surprise as Max lined up alongside the McLarens and nearly won the race, thwarted only by constant safety cars and the effect of dirty air. A second-place finish was a decent start. China: Red Bull’s inconsistency was on full display. Despite having pace, they were virtually nowhere. Max finished fourth in a baffling performance, barely appearing on the broadcast, indicating he had to wring every last bit of performance out of the car. Japan: Red Bull unveiled a stunning livery to commemorate Honda, and it seemed to bring them luck. The car was just fast enough to beat McLaren. Max held off both McLaren cars for the entire race, with the gap never exceeding two seconds. A convincing victory that made everyone believe this would be a two-horse race between Max and McLaren. Bahrain: Arguably Red Bull’s worst race. Despite finishing sixth and ninth, the real story was strategic errors, long pit stops, and Max being on the verge of rage-quitting. Scoring even a single point was a miracle. Jeddah: Max took pole and finished second. The inconsistency continued, but it seemed they were onto something. Miami: Max secured pole but finished third, highlighting McLaren’s tire advantage. Imola: Max won, beating the championship leader, Oscar Piastri. This was a sign that Max could make a comeback if the car maintained its form. Monaco & Spain: Fourth and third-place finishes weren’t too bad, showing Max was still in the hunt. Canada: A painful weekend where both McLaren and its drivers struggled, yet Max couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity to win due to cold tires, allowing George Russell to take the victory. Red Bull Ring: Despite qualifying seventh, Max couldn’t repeat his 2019 miracle and suffered a DNF, a devastating blow to his championship hopes. Hungary: The Red Bull car had zero pace, leading to a disappointing ninth-place finish while McLaren secured a one-two.

The Summer Break Turning Point and a Surprising Revival

After the summer break, the situation at Red Bull shifted. The car had completely stagnated, and their fixes seemed ineffective. Christian Horner reportedly refused any help or input, believing he, as the self-proclaimed “mastermind,” could solve it. However, everything changed when Laurent Mekies became CEO of TPN. He prided himself on his mechanical understanding of the cars and stated his goal was to rebuild Red Bull, not just apply more temporary fixes.

Zandvoort: While Spa and Hungary were forgettable, Zandvoort was a different story. Max finished second, closer to McLaren, unable to pass due to dirty air and a challenging track layout. Monza: Considered the perfect “hunting ground” for Max, and it proved to be true. He secured a convincing win without needing McLaren to make mistakes. A minor incident for McLaren also showed that even the fast MCL39 wasn’t immune to team errors. Baku: A chaotic race with six red flags in qualifying. Lando Norris qualified seventh, Oscar Piastri crashed, and Max took pole. The race went even better for Max as Oscar crashed again and Lando couldn’t get past, allowing Max to cruise to victory. The Red Bull car looked “lightning-fast,” and Max was even faster. He was now 69 points behind the leader and 44 behind second place.

The Championship Scenario: A Balance of Talent and Rival Errors

Could Max do it? The Red Bull car was inconsistent, but the McLaren drivers and their team were also prone to “incompetencies.” Could these factors balance each other out, or had Mekies already transformed the team, giving Max the tools to win the title? Who knows. But let’s speculate.

Singapore: Max likely wouldn’t win here, as history shows it’s a bogey track for Red Bull. Prediction: Lando first, Max second, Oscar third. Austin (COTA): A sprint race weekend. Max would get a bit “wacky” with Piastri, pushing Oscar down to fifth and getting away with it due to inconsistent stewards. Lando would hound Max all race, but Max would still take the win. Mexico: Always a Red Bull “circus” due to their car setup and the high altitude advantage. Max takes pole and runs away from the two McLarens. Brazil: The real test. Max would win both the sprint and the main race in chaotic fashion, turning everyone into his fan. McLaren would be the most affected team, reliving their Canada weekend where they were slow and their drivers made mistakes. Vegas: Oscar Piastri would finish third, but Lando Norris would make a mistake, allowing Max to claim another victory. Luck was truly on his side. Qatar: Although Max would be competitive enough for the win, Lando, who also had a big chance at the title, pushed hard enough for victory. Oscar had to settle for third. The top three were absolutely inseparable in this race.

The Final Showdown: A Moment of Destiny

Entering the final race of the season: Oscar Piastri on 420 points, Lando Norris on 421, and Max Verstappen on 414. All three had an equal shot at the title. If McLaren wanted to secure the championship, one of their drivers had to win. If Max wanted his fifth in a row, he needed to win this race, no matter who finished second.

Qualifying: Oscar took pole, with Max and Lando in second and third, separated by mere hundredths of a second. All three drivers were hungry for it.

The Race:

The Start: Max jumped Oscar at Turn 1, similar to how Lewis Hamilton did to Max in 2021.
Phase Two (Pressure): Max led but was relentlessly hounded by Piastri, who made moves at every opportunity, even overtaking him before Max retook the lead a lap later. Lando sat back, watching and planning with his team on how to overcut them both.
Pit Stops and Drama: On lap XX, Max and Oscar pitted. Two laps later, Lando pitted and managed to stay ahead of them, having saved his tires while the other two fought. However, Max, on fresher rubber, overtook Lando by the end of the lap to reclaim the lead.
The Final Phase (Bringing It Home): Lando, in second, still believed he could catch Max and defended hard against Piastri, slowing them both down. Oscar eventually got past Lando, but with only 13 laps left, Max had built a 6-second gap. Oscar closed it to under a second in the final three laps, but Max held on to cross the finish line first.

The result: Max Verstappen finished first in both the race and the championship with 438 points, to Oscar Piastri’s 437 and Lando Norris’s 436. Against all odds and despite his own critical mistakes, Max won his fifth consecutive title, thanks to his car’s refocused development under new leadership, but mainly because McLaren faltered.

In this scenario, McLaren often let their drivers fight each other, creating opportunities for Max to either pull away or catch up. Alternatively, McLaren made strategic or pit stop errors for one or both drivers, leading to poor results. If Oscar and Lando didn’t win the championship, it would be because the team messed up, not the drivers. But regardless, in this reality, Max Verstappen is your 2025 World Drivers’ Champion. “It’s not delusional until it works!”

In truth, the fact that Max could still win the title is a “disgrace,” considering how “stupidly fast” the MCL39 is, yet Max is not far behind. This idea diminishes McLaren’s dominance, making their 50-minute lead over the field and lack of competition other than their teammate seem less impressive. Lando and Oscar shouldn’t be in this position, but they are. Anyway, F1 has been like this for a long time, so who wins doesn’t really matter. Whoever wins in the end deserves praise. But let’s be honest, there’s only one guy we all want to win, right?