Max Verstappen has offered a candid assessment of his unexpected championship challenge in 2025, attributing his late-season surge not to any particular moment of brilliance but rather to the cumulative effect of his rivals’ misfortunes. Speaking in the aftermath of a campaign that saw him fall just two points short of Lando Norris, the four-time world champion acknowledged that Red Bull Racing were never truly in control of their own destiny during a turbulent year.
The Dutchman’s championship bid appeared all but over following the Dutch Grand Prix, where he trailed Oscar Piastri by 104 points and Norris by 70. Yet a combination of McLaren’s inter-team battles, strategic errors, and costly incidents gradually pulled Verstappen back into contention, transforming what looked like a processional season into one of the closest title fights in recent memory.
Red Bull’s season-long deficit masked by McLaren errors
Verstappen was unequivocal in his assessment of Red Bull’s competitive position throughout the campaign. The team never led the championship standings, a stark contrast to their dominant performances in previous seasons. The RB21 struggled with balance issues across multiple circuit types, leaving Verstappen to extract maximum points from machinery that rarely matched McLaren’s outright pace.
“We were never really in it,” Verstappen stated plainly. “If you look at the whole season, we never really had the chance to compete.” The shift in fortunes came not from Red Bull finding performance, but from McLaren’s two drivers consistently taking points from each other in their own internal battle.
This dynamic proved crucial as the season progressed. With Piastri and Norris both fighting for victories and podiums, their collision at Monza and subsequent strategic compromises at venues like Suzuka and Austin opened the door for Verstappen to close what had seemed an insurmountable gap. A disqualification for Norris in Austin further accelerated the Dutchman’s resurgence.
Spain incident not the turning point
The Spanish Grand Prix has been cited by some observers as a potential turning point, where Verstappen’s collision with George Russell resulted in a penalty that cost him valuable points. However, the Red Bull driver rejects this narrative entirely.
“The championship certainly wasn’t lost in Barcelona,” he insisted. “I think you have to look more at the moments where we were given chances to compete. That’s how you should view it.” His perspective reflects a pragmatic understanding that Red Bull were operating from a position of weakness for much of the year, making any points scored in difficult circumstances a net positive rather than dwelling on missed opportunities.
Verstappen emphasised that Red Bull also benefited from good fortune at various points. “We should be happy that we were able to compete for the championship,” he noted. “We never led it, and we also received a lot of gifts ourselves.” This acknowledgement suggests the title fight was shaped more by the unpredictability of McLaren’s campaign than by any single incident involving Red Bull.
Strategic consistency versus raw pace
What kept Verstappen in contention was not superior speed but superior consistency. While McLaren delivered the faster package at the majority of circuits, their execution faltered at critical moments. Strategy errors, including a miscalculation on tyre compounds at the British Grand Prix and a mistimed pit stop in Singapore, handed points to Verstappen when he had no right to expect them based on pure performance.
Red Bull’s approach throughout the season was to minimise losses and capitalise on every opponent error. With Liam Lawson still finding his feet after replacing Sergio Pérez mid-season, Verstappen often lacked the team-mate support that could have provided strategic flexibility. This made his ability to remain within striking distance of the McLaren pair all the more remarkable.
The contrast with McLaren’s inter-team dynamic was stark. Where Verstappen could focus solely on his own championship, Piastri and Norris were locked in their own battle, occasionally to the detriment of both. Team orders proved contentious on multiple occasions, creating tension that Red Bull were able to exploit.
What this means going forward
Verstappen’s reflections on 2025 will shape Red Bull’s approach to the coming season. The team are under no illusions that they must deliver a more competitive package if they are to challenge for the constructors’ championship, which they lost comprehensively to McLaren. Technical director Pierre Waché has already outlined aerodynamic revisions aimed at addressing the RB21’s mid-corner instability.
For Verstappen personally, coming within two points of a fifth consecutive title despite driving an inferior car will be viewed as both a near-miss and a testament to his racecraft. The Dutchman has made clear he does not view Spain or any single race as the decisive moment, instead seeing the championship as a product of accumulation across the entire calendar. With sweeping technical regulations arriving in 2026, Red Bull will hope their experience managing adversity in 2025 proves valuable as the grid resets once more.
