Verstappen’s title defense crumbles as Hamilton extends F1 lead to 49 points
Max Verstappen’s hopes for a fifth consecutive Formula 1 title have faded this season. Lewis Hamilton now trails the Red Bull driver by 49 points after a difficult campaign. Despite early optimism, his performance has fallen short of expectations.
Verstappen entered 2025 with high ambitions, expecting a stronger title challenge. Instead, he faced a points deficit of over 100 at one stage. His struggles contrasted sharply with Hamilton’s dominance, particularly after the Dutchman’s poor start to the year.
A mid-season recovery followed the summer break, with Verstappen and his team improving their form. Yet the gap remained too large to close. He admitted the championship fight was unlikely to go down to the final race, given the scale of the deficit.
Hamilton’s victory in Hungary extended his lead to 24 points over Oscar Piastri and 49 over Verstappen. With the Las Vegas Grand Prix approaching, the Red Bull driver risks slipping even further behind. His focus now shifts to securing strong results in the remaining races before reassessing his position after Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen has accepted the reality of this season’s outcome but remains satisfied with his consistency and car optimisation. The championship battle appears out of reach, leaving him to target race-by-race improvements. His attention will turn to 2026 once the current campaign concludes.
