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MAX VERSTAPPEN EYES COMEBACK TO SNATCH 2025 F1 CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN

Max Verstappen's quest for a 5th straight title faces a 49-point deficit to Lando Norris. With 3 races left, a perfect run and McLaren mistakes are his only path to matching Schumacher's record in a dramatic F1 finale.

Max Verstappen eyes comeback to snatch 2025 F1 championship crown
Verstappen remains dangerous contender - Photo Credit: Getty Images

It will be difficult for Max Verstappen to match Michael Schumacher's record of five straight Formula One driver's titles, but it is not impossible.

Max Verstappen's chances of retaining his title are in shambles with three races left in the 2025 Formula One season, including a final sprint in Qatar.

Oscar Piastri is only 25 points ahead of Verstappen, and the Dutchman's 49-point gap to Lando Norris following the São Paulo Grand Prix is intimidating.

The math, however, is straightforward: there is still drama in the run-in, and the title is up for debate.

Several "what if" scenarios that might potentially swing the balance in Verstappen's favour have been dissected by RacingNews365.

What if Verstappen goes on to win everything?


No matter how severe the points differential appears right now, Verstappen can still change the tide if he dominates the season's last stretch, winning in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi in addition to the Qatar sprint.

He would have a huge advantage over his McLaren competitors if he took the full haul, particularly if Norris and Piastri could not equal his performance.

Norris is compelled to go into defensive mode in this situation.

The championship would be in jeopardy heading into Abu Dhabi, even if you were to finish second to Verstappen in every race that remained.

Verstappen would be in full-on hunter-killer mode, and he has a history of producing runs like that because of his incredible late-season prowess.


What if McLaren makes even a small mistake?


The fight can be rekindled without either McLaren driver retiring.

The standings could be drastically compressed by a single low-scoring weekend for the team, such as a poor qualifying performance in Las Vegas, a damaged front wing in Qatar, or a tactical error.

With just 25 points separating Verstappen and Piastri, the Australian is easily within reach if his form falters.

Verstappen can get in if McLaren has even one compromised grand prix.

It is not unheard of to swing 15 to 20 points in a single weekend; if you do it twice, the championship landscape abruptly shifts.

Although Verstappen's route depends more on McLaren's mistakes than on Red Bull's outright dominance in this scenario, the margins are still manageable.


What if Qatar turns out to be the pivotal moment?


The season's final significant turning point is the Qatar weekend, which features both a sprint and a complete grand prix.

Verstappen could regain 15 to 20 points before the last two rounds even start if he wins both and Norris and Piastri do not place on the podium.

A championship leader may be destabilised by a weekend like this.

Team relations may become complex if Piastri is positioned between the rivals and Norris feels the pressure.

Verstappen's last remaining chance of the season is in Qatar; if he departs Lusail with the deficit down to the low thirties, the title fight will once more be very serious.

What happens if Piastri starts to cause trouble?


In the rankings, Piastri is positioned between Verstappen and Norris, and his position in this three-way battle is exceptionally precarious.

The Australian might unwittingly assist Verstappen by depriving Norris of points if he performs better than his teammate, particularly at Las Vegas or Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen just needs the right McLaren to stumble in this situation, not both of them.

Given Piastri's aggressive one-lap performance and developing race craft, a McLaren intra-team struggle could prove to be a nuisance for Norris.

Verstappen would prefer Piastri to defeat Norris while still trailing Red Bull in points. It produces the ideal wedge.


What if Verstappen makes a single slip?


Another awkward situation for Red Bull is that Verstappen's error would probably end the fight right away.

Almost all mathematical possibilities would be eliminated by a DNF, a crash, or even a subdued sixth-place result.

Verstappen knows better than anyone that he needs to go on a perfect run with just three rounds remaining, and Norris scoring goals regularly.

This situation highlights Red Bull's performance. From here to Abu Dhabi, strategy, pit stops, dependability, and tyre management must all be flawless. Is there any room for error?


What occurs if it is a straight shootout in the last round?


There is still a romantic chance that Abu Dhabi may host a championship match once more.

To achieve that, Verstappen must outscore Norris by about 20 to 25 points over the course of the following two rounds. This is difficult, but not impossible, given the sprint involved.

Before the final, if the difference closes to 25 points, Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen might face off in a three-way match.

Despite the odds being against him, Verstappen's ambitions of winning the 2025 championship are still very much alive, and his route to success is based as much on McLaren's possible mistakes as it is on his own skills.

He still has a chance to win a fifth world title if he can combine a late-season push with a little luck.

The narrative continues. There are still three rounds, a sprint, and 83 points to go, and Formula One tends to save its most dramatic turns until last.

LANDO NORRIS SINGLE: F1 CHAMPION CONFIRMS SPLIT FROM MAGUI CORCEIRO IN LEAKED VIDEO

F1 heartbreak: Analyse Lando Norris's split from Magui Corceiro, the "single man" leak, and their on-off relationship history.

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TikTok video captures Lando Norris confirming his breakup in Bahrain

Looks like Formula One world champion Lando Norris and his supermodel girlfriend, Magui Corceiro, have split up. The two started dating in 2023 and had a pretty on-and-off thing. She was right there with him when he won the title in Abu Dhabi – definitely an emotional night for both of them.

But now, it seems like it’s over. According to the Sun, a TikTok video caught Norris telling Carlos Sainz Jr that he’s “a single man". The audio’s not great, but you can hear Sainz asking if he and Magui are okay, and Lando just says, “No,” then adds that he’s single. This happened during pre-season testing in Bahrain while the drivers were getting their photos taken.

Magui, who’s also an actress from Portugal, used to date footballer Joao Felix before Lando. She and Norris broke up in 2024 and got back together, but it looks like they’ve called it quits again. People close to them say there’ve been signs for a while; things changed after Lando’s big championship win. The most obvious clue? Magui wasn’t at Lando’s big thank-you party in Bahrain, even though everyone else was there. Naturally, that got people talking.

Back in December, Magui broke down in tears after Norris won the world championship. She gave an interview to TV Guia, saying how happy they both were and how, in that moment, she forgot about the cameras. It all seemed pretty solid then.

Magui’s got a huge social following – around 800,000 fans on TikTok – and she’s done everything from acting in Portuguese dramas to modelling for brands like Intimissimi and Alo Yoga. She was even on Portugal’s Dancing with the Stars in 2020 and co-founded the eco swimwear brand Missus. She’s graced Vogue Portugal, too.

Norris himself talked about Magui in Vogue, saying they met a few years ago but only got together more recently. He called her “down to earth” and said he can just be himself around her. Apparently, he kept trying to get her into golf, but she hated it.

Neither of them has officially announced the breakup, but at this point, it looks like they’ve gone their separate ways.

DISASTER WARNING: OSCAR PIASTRI FEARS 2026 RACE STARTS COULD LEAD TO MULTI-CAR GRID ACCIDENTS

Oscar Piastri warns of chaos at the 2026 start! Discover why the new rules are a "recipe for disaster" and how McLaren found "warp speed."

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Piastri warns that clean launches now depend more on chance than skill

Oscar Piastri thinks there’s a lot of luck involved in getting a good start these days. Pre-season testing in Bahrain really made it clear that these new 2026 F1 rules have turned race starts into a much bigger headache.

He’s spoken up about this before, especially since so many teams and drivers are running into fresh problems under the new regs. The big one? F1 dropped the MGU-H from the engine formula, and suddenly, starts just aren’t as smooth. It’s a mess.

After last week’s first official test in Bahrain, Piastri didn’t sugarcoat it. He called the 2026 start a “recipe for disaster” because of how wildly different every driver’s launch is. Even the FIA and F1 noticed, so they decided to test out a longer starting procedure during the second test.

Here’s what they did: during the second test, they delayed the starting lights, giving drivers more time to spool up their turbos. Ferrari’s 2026 engine features a smaller turbo, allowing its drivers to maintain lower revs for longer periods. Others? They’re sitting there for up to ten seconds, just waiting.

Piastri says the new procedures and the extra week of testing in Bahrain helped a bit; things aren’t quite as all over the place now. But he’s honest: there’s still a ton of luck involved if you want to get a clean launch and avoid turbo lag or wheelspin.

Holding high revs to prime the turbo, now that the MGU-H is gone, is just one of the traps drivers can fall into. Piastri figures it’s going to take a while before all 22 drivers on the grid are nailing their starts every time.

He summed it up at the press conference in Bahrain: “Mine yesterday wasn’t so bad. I was last, but I also overtook four cars. There’s still a lot of luck involved, and we’re learning what makes a good start and what makes a bad one.

“There are a few pitfalls you can run into that cause problems. Managing the energy and the whole procedure – that’s one thing.

“The way we start is just totally different from last year. It’s trickier across the board. Some drivers are handling it; some just aren’t.”

On the other hand, McLaren looked like they were getting the hang of it by the last day of testing. Jolyon Palmer, watching from the sidelines, was impressed by Piastri’s practice start but even more blown away by Lando Norris.

Palmer thought McLaren had cracked the code. On Friday, Piastri shot off the line in the morning, but Norris outdid everyone in the final session. Palmer joked that Norris hit “warp speed".

He said on the F1 broadcast, “Warp speed, see you mate! That’s a brilliant start from Lando. McLaren is there. I’ve seen it all day. Oscar got a great start. In the pit lane, it looks good.

“I’d love to see that next to the Ferrari, honestly, because it’s really impressive. Their start is much better than Red Bull’s. I’d say it’s even better than Mercedes.”

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