Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has been steadily reducing the gap to the championship leaders since the summer break and is now just 36 points behind Lando Norris. Amid the Dutchman’s recent surge in performance, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has picked Verstappen as the favorite for the 2025 title.
As the new season unfolded, Red Bull found themselves overtaken in the performance index by McLaren, which allowed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to sprint ahead in the championship battle. Verstappen started the Dutch Grand Prix over 100 points behind Piastri. However, the upgrades Red Bull introduced during the latter races of the European stage brought Verstappen back into contention. Since then, Max has not finished off the podium.
Despite Lando Norris winning last weekend’s race in Mexico, Verstappen remains a strong favorite for the championship. Bernie Ecclestone highlighted Verstappen’s impressive track record at the Brazilian Grand Prix, calling it a “happy hunting ground” for the Dutch driver and predicting a likely victory there.
“I think Max will win and make it again! He has the special, the extraordinary. And the next race is Brazil—the weather is changeable, even with rain,” Ecclestone said.
Ecclestone also acknowledged that while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both talented drivers and McLaren has a great car, they are still no match for Verstappen.
“But Verstappen is the special one, the best racer, not a politician, but a real racing driver,” he added.
In the last six races, Verstappen has won three and finished on the podium in the other three, underlining his consistent form.
**“It’s in his hands”: Former F1 driver on Verstappen’s path to the 2025 title**
With four races remaining in the season, Verstappen needs to outscore Lando Norris by an average of nine points per race weekend to claim the championship. These final four weekends include two Sprint race events, adding to the challenge.
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer weighed in on how Verstappen might approach the final races.
“If he wins in Brazil, I think it will be in the balance. If he can win there, the gap will be less than 30 points. Vegas is going to be the big opportunity where you’ve got Mercedes, who will be quick. They’re always quick in Vegas. Ferrari is a wild card. McLaren could easily end up being sixth and seventh.
If you’re Max now with four races to go, you’ve got to just think, ‘let’s get the gap as close as it can be for Abu Dhabi,’ and then the pressure is on McLaren,” Palmer explained.
If Verstappen manages to clinch the 2025 title, it would mark the biggest points gap ever closed by a driver to win the F1 championship.
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*Edited by Pranay Bhagi*
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-not-politician-max-verstappen-picked-favorite-title-bernie-ecclestone