This wasn't supposed to happen. McLaren were supposed to have the drivers' title sewn up and sorted by now, with the final tension to fall between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Enter Max Verstappen.
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Red Bull star Verstappen eroded the gap to the front pair considerably in recent weeks following a flurry of victories. He has won five of the last eight races and recorded nine consecutive podium finishes.
The final sector of the season has left Norris out in front with a narrow gap behind him to Verstappen, while Piastri is bottom of the trio despite leading the standings for much of the campaign.
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 Lando Norris?
Ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the season:
Max Verstappen is 12 points behind Lando Norris and four points ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Drivers can earn a maximum of 25 points in the final race.
How can Max Verstappen win the F1 world title?
With each passing week, Verstappen has gained ground in the title battle. He has set the scene with 12 points to gain on Norris with one race to go.
Verstappen will win the F1 world title if he wins the race and Norris finishes outside of the podium. Or if he finishes second or third and Norris finishes eighth or ninth respectively.
To flip the scenario, if Norris finishes in on the podium, he wins the Championship. Of course, the equation for Norris is more straightforward, but his task is not easy.
Verstappen is not only the most accomplished and experienced driver among the trio of title contenders, he has boasted the quickest car in recent weeks. His qualifying pace has been exemplary, and his race pace has followed suit.
Adding to the drama, Verstappen's greatest advantage and greatest threat is the fact that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are teammates. Ultimately, given that Norris and Piastri can both still win the title, they are competitors before teammates, whatever McLaren would like to believe.
It's every man for himself going into the final race. Team orders are likely to fly out of the window as Abu Dhabi approaches.
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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.
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