Damon Hill states what McLaren will be telling themselves about Max Verstappen’s 2025 title chances

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Max Verstappen won the 2025 United States Grand Prix last weekend to also outscore his F1 drivers’ title rivals, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, for the fourth round in a row.

The McLaren men have now failed to outscore the Red Bull racer since Piastri won the Dutch Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen after Norris retired at Zandvoort back in August. Verstappen has won the Italian, Azerbaijan and US Grands Prix plus the COTA Sprint since the Dutch GP.

Verstappen now trails Piastri atop the 2025 F1 drivers’ standings by 40 points, even after the four-time defending champion left Zandvoort 104 behind the McLaren man. Norris also only trails Piastri by 14 points now, having also reduced his deficit of 34 points after the Dutch GP.

Red Bull saw Verstappen win the United States GP from pole position on Sunday to continue his stellar charge for a possible fifth straight drivers’ title. The 28-year-old’s double in Austin, Texas means he has scored 101 points to Norris’ 57 and Piastri’s 37 since leaving Zandvoort.

Damon Hill believes McLaren are admitting Max Verstappen is a ‘problem’ for the 2025 F1 drivers’ title

With only 40 points now separating the top three in the standings, with five Grands Prix and two F1 Sprints to go, Damon Hill believes McLaren will even be admitting to themselves that Verstappen can deny Piastri and Norris the title. A maximum of 141 points are still available.

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McLaren have not won a drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton lifted his first of seven titles back in the 2008 F1 season. The Woking natives have also not locked out the top two positions in the championship since 1989, when Alain Prost beat Ayrton Senna for the title by 16 points.

Hill told RacingNews365: “McLaren will be going, ‘Guys, we’ve got a slight problem, because we might not win the drivers’ championship, and we’d really like to do so’.

“They haven’t come first and second since 1989, but now that achievement is starting to look a bit vulnerable. You do have to always factor in the improbable in this sport because it happens.”

McLaren focusing on F1’s 2026 regulations could cost Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris the 2025 title

Verstappen is now starting to emerge as the favourite for the 2025 F1 drivers’ title for some, having reduced what was a 104-point deficit to Piastri to 40 points over four Grands Prix and one Sprint. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix and Qatar Grand Prix will hold the final Sprints of 2025.

Red Bull continuing to develop their 2025 F1 car, despite the threat of it leading to problems with the creation of their car for F1’s 2026 regulations, was key for Verstappen’s revived title hopes. McLaren shifted their focus to 2026 early and will not add any more updates in 2025.

Piastri and Norris must, therefore, make do with what McLaren have already got, which may give Verstappen and Red Bull the advantage. The RB21 is now a true match for the MCL39 in more than low-speed corners or on long straights, and it also has a wider operating window.