Charles Leclerc rates Max Verstappen’s 2025 F1 title chances after making big gains on McLaren duo

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Red Bull racer Max Verstappen has clawed his way back into the 2025 F1 drivers’ title fight with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris after winning in Monza and Baku.

The Dutchman’s days as the reigning champion appeared numbered before F1 had its yearly visit to the Temple of Speed. Verstappen arrived for the Italian Grand Prix facing a 104-point deficit to Piastri in the F1 drivers’ championship, while Norris was 34 adrift of his papaya pal.

Yet Verstappen won the Italian GP from pole position and converted another pole into a win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to now be 69 points shy of Piastri and 44 from Norris. For some, Piastri’s crash in the Azerbaijan GP has also blown the title F1 fight open for all three drivers.

Jacques Villeneuve believes Verstappen can win the 2025 F1 title, and his hopes would only grow if Red Bull can challenge at the Singapore Grand Prix. Giedo van der Garde is adamant that Verstappen will win the 2025 F1 title, too, as Piastri and Norris will keep making errors.

Charles Leclerc would be ‘really surprised’ if Max Verstappen wins the 2025 F1 title

But Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc would be “really surprised” to see Verstappen pull off what would be the greatest title comeback in F1 history so far, based on the current point-scoring system. Instead, Leclerc still believes the title fight is “definitely” between Piastri and Norris.

READ MORE: The greatest title comebacks in F1 history to inspire Max Verstappen in 2025

Leclerc believed Piastri had “the edge” in the 2025 F1 title fight when he examined the table before August’s Hungarian Grand Prix, having admired what the Australian produced during the first half of the season. But Leclerc refused to rule Norris out of the title race at the time.

Since then, Piastri has scored 58 points and Norris has taken 49. But Verstappen has scored 70 to bring himself back into the title conversation. Yet Leclerc would be “really surprised” if Verstappen maintains his momentum and denies Piastri and Norris the 2025 F1 drivers’ title.

Leclerc stated, via quotes by Formule1: “I think Max is doing fantastic right now. Hats off to him. I’d be really surprised if Max wins. It’s definitely going to be Oscar or Lando this year.”

Charles Leclerc does not think Red Bull will ‘dominate’ the end of the 2025 F1 season

Baku witnessed the worst weekend of the 2025 F1 season from a McLaren perspective, with Norris qualifying P7 and finishing P7. Piastri’s rare crash in the Azerbaijan GP was not even his only blunder in Baku, having also crashed in qualifying and jumped the start of the race.

READ MORE: Every error that cost Lando Norris points in his failed 2024 F1 title challenge

Norris would only qualify P7 for the Azerbaijan GP after he brushed the same barrier where Leclerc’s Q3 came to an early end. The Briton did not make progress in the race, either, as he got stuck in the DRS train behind Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda.

But while Red Bull’s floor upgrade at Monza and set-up decisions have helped Verstappen to back-to-back wins for the first time since June 2024, Leclerc expects McLaren to react. He does not feel confident predicting the Red Bull RB21 will now be the dominant car to beat.

Leclerc added: “I really don’t think Max is leaving anything behind, I’m sure of that. They’ve clearly made a step forward with that car and are now at a really high level.

“It’s a close call between McLaren and Red Bull. The last two weekends weren’t particularly strong for McLaren, but I don’t think Red Bull will dominate again.”