The huge scale of Max Verstappen’s F1 2025 title challenge outlined

Max Verstappen faces a huge task if he is to become F1 world champion for a fifth consecutive season.

The Red Bull driver is currently 44 points behind second-placed Lando Norris and 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri after taking impressive back-to-back wins in Italy and Azerbaijan.

Recent upgrades have inspired Red Bull’s revival and Verstappen is much happier and more comfortable in his car, enabling him to pose more of a threat to the McLaren duo.

A retirement for Piastri and only seventh place for Norris last time out in Baku helped Verstappen reduce his deficit. But with seven races and three sprints left in the calendar, could he really turn things around?

It is a long shot that has been laid bare by Sky Sports F1’s Craig Slater.

“Can Verstappen sensationally cling on to his world crown? Even though he’s 69 points behind with just seven races left, if all the cars were equal he would still be my title favourite,” Slater said.

“He has been, again, the year’s outstanding performer. That overtake at Tamburello. That save at Zandvoort. Back-to-back grand slams. He has hardly made any mistakes.

“However, without the best all-round car, he still needs to take an average of 10 points off Oscar Piastri and seven points off Lando Norris in each of the remaining seven events.

“So Verstappen winning, Norris second and Piastri third at those last seven races does the trick, Verstappen is the champion, if of course he keeps points parity across the final three sprints.

“That would make it nine straight for Max Verstappen. Too many? Well, he’s done that twice before in his career.

“McLaren though do have the better all-round car and with Piastri so much further ahead, Max probably needs him to have another no-score weekend. Maybe not just anywhere.

“If Piastri were to DNF in Singapore, Qatar, or Brazil, or for whatever reason have a bad weekend in those places, that would be a double boost for Max. The high downforce nature of those tracks favour McLaren, so if Piastri were to draw a blank at any of those, it would be game on for Verstappen.

“It could be game on anyway. Maybe Red Bull have made an all-round improvement. Singapore will reveal a lot. Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi should be decent Red Bull tracks, Mexico City maybe a little bit on the trickier side. Despite what I’ve said about Qatar and Brazil, Max won on both those circuits last year.

“This kind of points deficit has never been overcome, never mind so late in a season.”

Does Verstappen believe he can do it?

It wasn’t long ago that Verstappen had effectively resigned himself to the reality of not being able to defend his crown this season.

But things have changed quickly in recent weeks and the Dutchman is no longer ruling the prospect out, even though he acknowledges he has a mountain to climb.

"Seven races to go and it's still 69 points, it's a lot," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

"Basically, everything needs to go perfect from my side and then a bit of luck from their side I need as well. So it's still very tough.”

Speaking in the post-race press conference in Azerbaijan, Verstappen added: “I don’t rely on hope.”

But McLaren have made it very clear they view Verstappen as a credible threat.

"Pole position in Monza, victory, pole position here, Red Bull are a very serious contender to win races and a very serious contender for the Drivers' Championship," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella warned after qualifying in Baku.

Asked if Verstappen is still a contender, Stella replied: ”A firm YES. Can you write it in capitals? Because it was quoted in capitals."