The reign of Max Verstappen came to an end during the final race in Abu Dhabi. After a hard-fought title battle, rival Lando Norris emerged victorious. However, the Dutchman remained unfazed; he expressed satisfaction with his own performance and pride in the comeback made by Red Bull.
Despite missing out on a fifth consecutive world title, Verstappen closed 2025 with impressive figures. The Red Bull driver claimed eight victories and as many pole positions, more than anyone else. During the last triple header, he also drove three extremely dominant Grands Prix, adding another three wins to his record. His tally now stands at 71 victories.
Inspiration
Although Verstappen did not win the title, according to Romain Grosjean, this says little about the quality of his performance. The former Haas driver particularly points out the circumstances under which Verstappen completed his season. He made up a deficit of no less than 104 points and stayed in the race for the championship until the very end. “Verstappen was the most notable driver for me this year,” Grosjean told Sport1. “He didn’t have a good car, lost a lot of points, but came back. It was a miracle that he was still in contention for the title in Abu Dhabi.”
“Initially, it was unthinkable that he would still be competing for the championship and end up just two points behind Lando Norris,” the Frenchman continued. “He was fantastic. This was definitely one of his best seasons.” According to Romain Grosjean, 2025 even surpasses Verstappen’s previous title years. In particular, the dominant Red Bull season of 2023, in which the RB19 was virtually unbeatable, weighs less heavily for him. “I think he was very strong last year. The year before, the car was so dominant that it was actually easier, although it’s never really easy. He had to fight hard for his first world title with Lewis Hamilton, which was also a special season. But this year, with such a large deficit and such an impressive comeback, was truly inspiring for many drivers.”
