Max Verstappen‘s manager has contended that Lando Norris should have clinched the Formula 1 title in 2025 “much earlier” than he did, given McLaren’s advantage.
Norris relinquished the grip Verstappen had held on the Drivers’ Championship since 2021 last year, coming out on top in a three-driver title showdown in Abu Dhabi.
But having been as high as 104 points behind with nine rounds remaining, Verstappen’s remarkable late surge saw the team bosses vote him the best driver of 2025.
The Dutchman ended the campaign with 10 consecutive podiums, including six victories, to overhaul Oscar Piastri, but he ended up a mere two points behind Norris.
McLaren had won the Constructors’ title with a record six races to spare. However, various collective errors over the season enabled Verstappen to become a threat.
Raymond Vermeulen, Verstappen’s long-time manager, has expressed that Norris ought to have sealed the deal sooner with the package that McLaren provided him.
“This season has been a work of art by Max,” Vermeulen told Formule 1 Magazine.
“He managed to turn the year around. At the beginning, we had a few very bad weekends with the Red Bull Racing team, and those broke us at the end.
“But if you turn it around, McLaren made a lot more mistakes.
“With that car, Norris should have become champion much earlier, of course.”
Was 2025 Verstappen’s best season yet?
Vermeulen has even pondered whether Verstappen’s most recent campaign was better than his 2023 season, where he was victorious on 19 occasions in 22 rounds.
“We’ve noticed that Max is now getting the international recognition he deserves,” he added. “His performances this season have really captured the imagination.
“We have been saying for some time that he is an exceptional talent on four wheels.
“But what he has shown this season, given the circumstances, is phenomenal, and it’s great that everyone can now see that.
“Was this season better than 2023, when he won 19 of 22 races? He has had to come a long way this year.”
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