Can Max Verstappen win the F1 title in 2025? Points difference to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris explained
Never rule out the flying Dutchman.
The faint alarm bells tinkling in the ears of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have become shrieking sirens following Max Verstappen's ominous form at the end of the 2025 campaign.
This wasn't supposed to happen. McLaren were supposed to have the title sewn up and sorted by n0w, and yet the F1 title race has not been quite so alive since the very first race week.
Red Bull star Verstappen has eroded the gap to the front pair considerably in recent weeks thanks to three victories – and a pair of second-place finishes – in the last five outings.
In the same spell, McLaren's front-running duo have recorded just one victory and four more podium places between them. Max is gaining... and he's gaining fast.
RadioTimes.com digs into the numbers to show how Max Verstappen could win the 2025 F1 title – and how many points could seal the deal.
How many points is Max Verstappen behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris?
Ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix with five races and two Sprints to go:
Max Verstappen is 40 points behind Oscar Piastri and 26 points behind Lando Norris.
As things stand, drivers can earn a maximum of 141 points between now and the end of the F1 2025 season.
Can Max Verstappen win the F1 world title?
Absolutely. With each passing week, Verstappen is gaining ground in the title battle.
Verstappen is not only the most accomplished and experienced driver among the trio, he currently boasts the quickest car. His qualifying pace has been exemplary, and his race pace has followed suit.
Should Verstappen win each of the remaining races and Sprints, he would finish on 447 points. If Piastri finished second in each of the remaining races and Sprints, he would finish on 450 points. The battle remains in the Australian's hands.
However, should Norris finish above Piastri, assuming Verstappen race wins, it would harm McLaren's chances of placing one of their drivers at the top of the podium.
Adding to the drama, Verstappen's greatest advantage and greatest threat is the fact that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are teammates. Ultimately, so long as they can both win the title, they are competitors before teammates, whatever McLaren would like to believe.
If one driver sacrificed their own race to defend their teammate from the threat posed by Verstappen, McLaren would likely see this one out due to their existing points advantage, but ultimately, Piastri and Norris are still very much in it to win it for themselves.
It's too early to make accurate permutations, but should Verstappen claim victory in Mexico City and Piastri finish outside of the podium places, the competition will ratchet up once again. Buckle up.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
