Max Verstappen has said he “didn’t really lose” the Formula 1 title because Red Bull “never really had a chance” to challenge McLaren in 2025.
Verstappen ended his resurgent run since the summer break only two points adrift of a fifth consecutive F1 title in Abu Dhabi, two weeks ago.
Yet, despite losing out to Lando Norris by the slimmest of margins, the Dutchman does not harbour any frustrations with how the season panned out for him.
“Well, I see it like this… We didn’t really lose it, because we were never really in it,” he told Viaplay.
The 28-year-old had sat a mammoth 104 points off the lead after the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.
Since then, he mounted a sensational comeback, winning six out of the final 10 rounds.
But looking back, Verstappen surmised that even that would never have been enough given just how dominant the MCL39 had been in the first half of the season.
“I think if you look at the whole season, we never really had a chance to compete,” he asserted.
After 24 rounds, the duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri scored a staggering 833 points for the Woking-based team, sealing the Constructors’ title with six rounds to go.
Verstappen, on the other hand, dragged Red Bull to a total of 451 almost single-handedly, with 418 points to his name after the 58-lap race at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Naturally, the four-time champion could not overlook how fate had a strong hand in helping him take the title fight to the very final round against a dominant McLaren.
“Because there were two of them, of course, [the McLaren drivers] took a lot of points away from each other. And because of that, if you’re on your own, and at some point, things start to go better, then of course you catch up a bit,” explained Verstappen.
“A few crashes or strategy mistakes, disqualifications, and then at some point you’re in it. I don’t really feel like we missed out on anything.”
Verstappen highlights ‘gifts’ that helped Red Bull in 2025
Verstappen has his own fair share of misfortune with the RB21. In Austria, for example, he was collected by rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s W16 on the opening lap.
In Barcelona, however, his miseries were entirely of his own making.
A frustrated Verstappen, feeling let down by the team’s strategy, bundled into George Russell in the dying embers of the race – handing the former a 10-second time penalty.
In the past, Verstappen has expressed regret over that incident, but is adamant that it did not dictate his championship loss.
“I think we can be happy that we were able to compete in the championship,” he said. “First of all, we were never in the lead in the championship. We also received a lot of gifts ourselves.
“The championship was certainly not lost in Barcelona. I think you have to look more at where we had opportunities to compete.
“Look, I got knocked out in Austria. But then again, we had so many problems in so many races before that. Mistakes with pit stops, weekends where nothing went right at all. So, looking back, there are lots of things you could have done better.
“And ultimately, McLaren was disqualified in Las Vegas. If that doesn’t happen, then you’re not even in the race. So, it depends on how you look at it. In the end it doesn’t matter if it’s one point, half a point, twenty points. Not winning is not winning. You’re either pregnant or you’re not. You’re not half pregnant, right?”
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