Max Verstappen Edges Closer to F1 Title with US Grand Prix Victory
Max Verstappen is gunning for his fifth F1 world title after a stunning masterclass win at the United States Grand Prix, his third victory in four races.
“I think on the first stint is where we made the difference. I could seek out a little bit of a gap and that is basically what we kept until the end...”
Max Verstappen is gunning for his fifth Formula 1 world title after a stunning performance at the United States Grand Prix. His masterclass win in Sunday's Grand Prix marked his third victory in four races, significantly narrowing the gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen now trails Piastri by 40 points with five races remaining, but he's optimistic about his chances. “The chance is there,” he said. “We just need to keep delivering these results until the end of the year.” This shift in momentum comes after Verstappen gained 64 points in the last five races, outscoring both McLaren drivers combined.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies praised Verstappen's exceptional form, saying, "Max has been driving at an incredible level... We're witnessing something quite extraordinary." With consistency being key in the championship battle, Verstappen's recent performances have undoubtedly put pressure on Piastri and Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen's victory has significantly boosted his title chances, cutting Oscar Piastri's lead to 40 points with five Grands Prix remaining, including two more sprint races. The Dutchman expressed his optimism, saying, “Yeah, for sure, the chance is there. We just need to try and deliver these weekends until the end. We will try whatever we can.”
After a dominant performance, winning both Saturday's sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix, Verstappen now has 306 points, trailing Piastri (346 points) and ahead of teammate Lando Norris isn't accurate, instead Norris is second, 14 points behind Piastri with 332 points. Verstappen's focus now shifts to maintaining momentum and pushing his team to deliver strong performances in the remaining races.
Max Verstappen was the main event in Texas 😤
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 19, 2025
✅ Sprint pole
✅ Sprint winner
✅ Grand Prix pole
✅ Grand Prix winner pic.twitter.com/De7HKt6W0E
McLaren has already secured the constructors' title for the second consecutive year, but the team's focus has shifted to preparing for 2026, halting updates to their current car. This has left drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris relying on their skills to keep their title bids alive.
Max Verstappen has capitalized on McLaren's lack of development, collecting 119 points out of a possible 135 over the last five Grand Prix weekends. This impressive run coincides with the resurgence of Mercedes and Ferrari, highlighting the intense competition in the championship battle. Verstappen's recent form has significantly narrowed the gap to the leaders.
Verstappen added: “It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew that the race was not going to be super straightforward and I think, if you look at the whole race, the pace between myself and Lando was really close.”
In the winners circle 🏆🫂#F1 || #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MWS80aQSEo
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 19, 2025
“I think on the first stint is where we made the difference. I could seek out a little bit of a gap and that is basically what we kept until the end.”
He added: “I am incredibly proud of everyone to deliver a weekend like this and now we just have to keep the momentum.”
Max Verstappen's surge has drawn comparisons to Kimi Raikkonen's remarkable 2007 season. Like Raikkonen, who trailed Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton going into the final race in Brazil, Verstappen's late-season charge has sparked hopes of a dramatic title turnaround.
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