The air is electric. The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, once seemingly a straightforward procession for McLaren’s new star Oscar Piastri, has been violently ripped open. With just five races remaining, the hunter has the scent of blood. That hunter is Max Verstappen, and he is not just closing the gap—he is obliterating it. A 40-point deficit that looked insurmountable just weeks ago now feels like a mere formality. The stage is set not just for a title fight, but for potentially the single greatest comeback in the sport’s modern history.

This isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a calculated reality based on a perfect storm of three critical factors: Verstappen’s terrifying, relentless form; a calendar of remaining tracks that may as well have been hand-picked by Red Bull’s engineering department; and the psychological fractures beginning to show in the McLaren camp, both on and off the track. The momentum has not just shifted; it has become an avalanche.

Let’s begin with the man at the center of it all. Max Verstappen is currently operating on a level of consciousness separate from his peers. In the last five Grand Prix weekends, he has devoured 119 out of a maximum of 133 available points. This streak, punctuated by three commanding victories and two second-place finishes, is the hallmark of a champion finding his ultimate groove at the most critical juncture of the season. He is driving with a ruthless precision that borders on inevitable. While Piastri has shown incredible talent to build his lead, Verstappen is demonstrating the unyielding consistency that wins championships. He is a predator who has remembered how to hunt, and the 40-point gap is his prey.

But a driver, no matter how gifted, is nothing without the right machinery. This is where the comeback theory gains its most significant traction. The remaining five-race gauntlet—Mexico, Las Vegas, Brazil, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi—is a nightmare scenario for the McLaren MCL39 and a dream come true for the Red Bull RB21.

First, the circus heads to Mexico City. This track is, without exaggeration, Verstappen’s personal fortress. He has won here five times in his last seven visits, a staggering record of dominance. The reason is pure science. At over 2,000 meters above sea level, the thin air strangles engine power and places an enormous premium on aerodynamic efficiency. The Red Bull package, renowned for its superior aero, slices through the thin air with an efficiency the McLaren simply cannot match. Conversely, the Mercedes power unit in the back of the McLaren has historically struggled at this altitude. This is a track where Verstappen has won with inferior cars in the past. With the RB21 now seemingly the class of the field, this weekend doesn’t just look like a win for Max; it looks like a 26-point haul, fastest lap included.

Next, they fly to the glittering strip of Las Vegas. This circuit is another bogey track for the Woking team. The endless, flat-out straights are poison for a car that has struggled with high drag. Furthermore, the historically cold track surface makes getting heat into the tires—a persistent McLaren weakness—a Herculean task. This isn’t just a two-way fight. The unique layout is expected to bring Mercedes and Ferrari right back into the mix, creating a chaotic battle at the front. More cars in the fight means more variables, more potential for buffer, and more obstacles to place between Verstappen and his title rival.

From the desert, the paddock travels to the “land of chaos”: Interlagos, Brazil. This is where driver feel and adaptability reign supreme, and no one on the grid adapts faster than Max Verstappen. Brazil is famous for its unpredictable, changeable conditions—sudden rain, strategy roulettes, and safety cars. In these moments of high pressure, Verstappen is the undisputed benchmark. Think back to his legendary 2016 drive in the wet, or his masterful control in 2022. When the race is unpredictable, Max becomes a force of nature. It’s a track that has a habit of turning into a Verstappen highlight reel, and this year should be no different.

Following that, we have Qatar. This high-downforce, high-speed circuit looks like it was designed in the Red Bull factory. We’ve already seen Verstappen and the RB21 utterly destroy the field at similar high-speed layouts like Japan and Imola this season. Even earlier in the year, when the McLaren was arguably the more dominant car, Verstappen was right on Piastri’s tail in Saudi Arabia. Qatar is a pure performance track, and right now, the Red Bull’s performance profile is perfectly aligned with its demands. This is another opportunity for Verstappen to stretch his legs and take a massive bite out of the championship lead.

Finally, it all comes down to Abu Dhabi. On paper, this is the most balanced playing field of the final five. But if, as is now widely expected, this championship goes down to the wire, there is no one you would rather have in your corner than Max Verstappen. If it comes down to a final-race duel, with the pressure at an excruciating, world-stopping level, who do you bet on? The young, brilliant Oscar Piastri in his first-ever title fight, or the hardened four-time champion who has been forged in the fires of championship controversy and pressure? Max’s experience and ice-cold control under pressure are his ultimate weapons.

This battle, however, is not just being fought on the tarmac. It’s being fought in the mind. Red Bull has already begun the psychological warfare, evidenced by the $50,000 fine they incurred for deliberately trying to disrupt McLaren’s pre-race preparations in Austin. It’s a clear signal: the gloves are off.

More tellingly, Verstappen appears to be living “rent-free” in the heads of both McLaren drivers. The pressure is visibly taking its toll. Piastri was dramatically off-color in Austin, while Lando Norris made what many in the paddock are calling a “pathetic” statement, wishing overtakes were easier. It was a comment that revealed a cracked facade, a driver frustrated that his rival isn’t just rolling over.

This leads to the most shocking and critical vulnerability for McLaren: their own internal team dynamics. As Red Bull and Verstappen mount the most dangerous offensive of the season, McLaren appears to be at war with itself. The team has bafflingly refused to put its full, unequivocal support behind its championship leader, Oscar Piastri. Piastri did the hard work. He won the races and built the lead when the McLaren was at its peak competitiveness. Norris, meanwhile, has been inconsistent and even crashed into his own teammate on multiple occasions with seemingly no consequences.

Yet, the team’s “stupid papaya rules” seem designed to favor Norris, their long-term star, over Piastri, the man actually in the title fight. From a championship logic, this is suicide. When you are facing a charging bull like Verstappen, you must present a unified front. You must back your lead driver with every strategic tool you have. McLaren’s refusal to do so is not just a mistake; it’s a championship-losing decision. It’s an open invitation for Red Bull to divide and conquer.

The stage is set. This is no longer a simple race for points. It is a complex war of engineering, psychology, driver skill, and team strategy. And on every single front, Max Verstappen and Red Bull have the advantage. The momentum is undeniable, the calendar is a gift, and the rival team is fracturing under the pressure. We are not just watching a title fight; we are watching the inevitable, methodical, and relentless assembly of the greatest comeback in Formula 1 history.