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Why Max Verstappen’s 2025 title hopes could finally slip away in Las Vegas

Originally posted on HITC | By Rebecca Braybrook | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 7:35 AM ET

Max Verstappen remains mathematically in the hunt for this year’s title, but his grip on the race could slip away as soon as this weekend.

With three races left, he trails Lando Norris by 49 points. It’s a big ask, even though his form after the summer break has kept Red Bull fans believing.

Even so, just three rounds remain, and Verstappen’s title hopes are starting to fade.

That means it could be Las Vegas that finally closes the door on his season, ending his chase for another world championship.

How Verstappen worked his way back into the 2025 Title fight after Zandvoort

After the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen found himself 104 points behind Piastri, who had extended his lead over the summer break. Piastri’s win at Zandvoort, backed by pole position and the fastest lap, looked to put Red Bull in a tough spot.

But Verstappen responded well. He picked up wins in Italy, Azerbaijan and the United States, narrowing the gap to McLaren across five races heading into Las Vegas.

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Norris had taken back the title lead from Piastri with his victory in Mexico. Verstappen finished third there, closing the gap to just 36 points.

But Norris put on another strong display at Interlagos, sweeping both the sprint and main race in Brazil and stretching his lead back out to 49 points.

Max Verstappen needs Vegas win to stay in title fight

This weekend’s race is a must-win for Verstappen. Even if he can draw level with Norris by the final round, he’ll still need the tiebreaker to go his way.

Formula 1 rules are clear: if two drivers finish the season on equal points, the title goes to whoever has more wins.

If they’re still tied, it comes down to who has more second places, then third places, and so on until there’s a clear winner.

Norris and Piastri currently lead the pack with seven wins each this season, while Verstappen sits just behind them on five.

If Verstappen sweeps the remaining races, he’ll move ahead on wins. But if Norris manages even one more victory before then, Verstappen’s hopes of winning on countback will be over.

Lando Norris could knock Max Verstappen out of title race in Vegas

Verstappen needs to make sure Norris doesn’t outscore him by nine points in Las Vegas if he wants to stay in the hunt for the 2025 title.

If Verstappen is trailing Norris by 58 points after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, there’s no path left for him to catch up. The defending champion’s run of four straight titles would be over.

For Norris, a win paired with Verstappen finishing third or lower would wrap things up then and there. That outcome isn’t far-fetched either – Autosport notes it’s happened six times already this season, including at Monaco, Austria and Silverstone.

If Norris finishes outside the top five this weekend, though, Verstappen will keep his hopes alive at least until Qatar.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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