The 2025 Formula 1 season is pure peak drama. Technical penalties, wild comebacks, and a finale that screams “all or nothing.”
With only two races left — Qatar and Abu Dhabi — the championship has turned into a straight duel between Lando Norris, leading by 24 points, and a Max Verstappen who just switched back into full predator mode.

The Dutchman, who was once 104 points behind Oscar Piastri and 88 behind Norris during the European summer, has resurrected the title fight as if the season had been reset. Qatar and Abu Dhabi will decide whether his reign continues… or whether Norris delivers the knockout blow.

How Did Verstappen Get Here?

Max’s comeback belongs in F1 history books.

At Zandvoort, his home race, he hit rock bottom: 104 points behind Piastri and seemingly out of the fight. But since August 31, he’s delivered eight races of laser-precise execution, strong results and — most importantly — zero mistakes in a year where McLaren sabotaged itself with technical failures and costly penalties.

The brutal sanctions that wiped Norris’ and Piastri’s points in Las Vegas opened the door for Red Bull. And Max walked through it like the three-time champion he is.

Now, with two races to go, he sits 24 points behind Norris and has already caught Piastri, the big loser of the season’s final stretch.

Qatar: A Track Built for “Mad Max”

Lusail is friendly territory for Verstappen.
He won from pole in 2023, and again in 2024, even without starting first.

This weekend puts 33 points on the table:
8 points from the Sprint + 25 from Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Max needs a clean, aggressive, mistake-free weekend.
He knows it… and McLaren knows it even better — especially after realizing that their own errors are the reason Max is back in the title fight.

Abu Dhabi: A Place Where Max Is Legend… and Has Fallen Before

The finale takes place at Yas Marina, where Max won four straight races between 2020 and 2023.

But last year?
He finished sixth after a penalty for an incident with Piastri. Norris won that race.

Abu Dhabi is a double-edged sword: a Verstappen stronghold with recent scars.

What Does Verstappen Need to Become Champion?

The gap is small, and there are plenty of points left.
Max doesn’t just need wins — he needs to squeeze every point out of every session.

For Verstappen to keep his crown, he needs to:

• Cut at least 9–12 points from Norris in Qatar to flip the pressure heading into Abu Dhabi.
• Avoid any penalties or incidents that hand free points to McLaren.
• And — even if he won’t say it — hope Norris or McLaren make one more mistake… because this time it would be fatal.

Everything Is in Norris’ Hands… and in Max’s Killer Instinct

If Norris manages those 24 points with cold-blooded precision, he’ll be the next world champion.
But if he eases off even a millimeter, the driver behind him is Max Verstappen — the one man in F1 you never allow back into the fight.