Verstappen: Red Bull's 2025 Turnaround More Vital Than F1 Title Win

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull's remarkable mid-season resurgence, transforming them into an unexpected dark horse in the 2025 Formula 1 drivers' championship, holds more significance than actually clinching the title. After trailing McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 104 points and Lando Norris by 70 points after the Dutch Grand Prix, Red Bull's consistent performance and five wins in the last eight rounds have brought Verstappen within 12 points of Norris heading into the Abu Dhabi season finale.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's perspective highlights a critical shift in Red Bull's trajectory. While a title fight is always the ultimate goal, the ability to fundamentally understand and improve their car's performance mid-season speaks volumes about the team's engineering prowess and strategic decision-making. This turnaround isn't just about this year's championship; it's a testament to their development capabilities, which are crucial for future seasons, especially with the impending 2026 technical regulations.

The details:

• Dramatic Turnaround: At one point, the championship seemed like a clear two-horse race between McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who combined for 12 wins in the first 15 races.
• Significant Deficit: Following the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen was 104 points behind Piastri and 70 points adrift of Norris.
• Red Bull's Resurgence: McLaren has only secured two wins in the subsequent eight rounds, partly due to team and driver errors, but primarily because of Red Bull's escalating competitiveness.
• Verstappen's Performance: During this period, Verstappen claimed five victories, narrowing the gap to just 12 points behind Norris and 16 behind Piastri before the final race in Abu Dhabi.
• Consistency is Key: Verstappen emphasized that the current consistent podium finishes are a far better situation than the mid-season struggles characterized by inconsistent performance, where a good race was often followed by a poor one.
• Record-Breaking Streak: Verstappen is currently on a nine-consecutive-podium streak, a rare feat with only seven longer streaks in F1 history.

Between the lines:

Red Bull's strategy involved dedicating further effort to their 2025 challenger, a move that many might have thought would compromise their chances for the 2026 technical era. However, Verstappen firmly believes this approach will be beneficial, not detrimental. He argues that validating their tools and data analysis methods by extracting more performance from the current car provides valuable insights that will directly translate to the entirely new regulations in 2026, despite the different rules.

What's next:

Heading into the title decider, Verstappen's mentality is clear: "We have nothing to lose." He acknowledges their unlikely position in the championship battle given their mid-season struggles and emphasizes that while they've achieved good results, there's still work to be done, particularly in the Constructors' standings where McLaren holds a significant lead. The ultimate outcome of the championship aside, Red Bull's ability to 'find the right direction' and recover so strongly bodes well for their future ambitions, offering a strong foundation as they prepare for F1's next technical chapter.