Jenson Button thinks F1 fans have now completely changed their mind on Max Verstappen

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Max Verstappen is on the cusp of pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in Formula 1 history, and it’s given Formula 1 fans something to get excited about with two races remaining.

When the chequered flag came down at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, it looked like Lando Norris had come within one race of winning the 2025 drivers’ championship.

Max Verstappen won on the streets of Las Vegas, but Norris followed him home in second, with Mercedes driver George Russell joining him on the podium.

However, the bombshell news broke after the race that both McLaren drivers had been disqualified, meaning Verstappen is only 24 points behind Norris with only two Grand Prix and one Sprint Race remaining.

Suddenly, Red Bull could be on the verge of helping Verstappen leapfrog Sebastian Vettel’s tally of four championships, with the momentum very much on the Dutchman’s side.

Jenson Button and David Croft were watching Verstappen celebrate his 69th Formula 1 victory on the podium in Las Vegas, and noticed a shift in the mood of the fans when it comes to the 28-year-old’s championship chances.

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Jenson Button thinks ‘everyone’ is cheering for Max Verstappen for the first time in his F1 career

Watching the podium celebrations on Sky Sports F1 (23/11 5:51 am), Croft said: “Well, he’s getting rather used to winning, is Max Verstappen, but he shows no signs of stopping or slowing down or not wanting many, many more wins to come.

“All smiles for Max Verstappen, who is playing the role of the underdog in the closing stages of the season, which is not a role that Max has played very much in his career.

Button added: “No, and he’s got everyone cheering for him to chase down the McLaren drivers, which isn’t something he’s ever had before.”

Croft continued: ”He’s single-handedly as well helping Red Bull to that third place in the championship as well.

“Yuki Tsunoda with eight points this season, Red Bull have 391 points.”

It had previously been suggested earlier in the season that Verstappen was watching his popularity decline in Formula 1.

However, the recent booing of Lando Norris and how unpopular McLaren’s papaya rules are driving fans to back Verstappen for the rest of the season.

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Max Verstappen lauds ‘very smooth’ win at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Verstappen was speaking in his official post-race media session with Red Bull, and reflecting on his latest victory, he said: “Everything went really smooth today and we did well to keep the tyres alive.

“The last few laps were very strong, we made no mistakes and had good communication with the pit wall throughout.

“Our start was really good, and Lando was a bit late on the brakes. It was important to get ahead, as we were able to then do our own thing and stay really consistent.

“During the race, the mediums felt better than expected, and we did a decent stint first, which made things easier when we got onto the hard compound.

“It was a good race for us, we had good pace and everything worked really well. For the next few races, we just need to do the best we can and keep trying to win as many races until the end of the year and maximise everything we can.”

Verstappen has told Red Bull what he needs to catch both McLaren drivers between now and the chequered flag flying in Abu Dhabi.

He’ll go into those races knowing that he has the support of the vast majority of the fans in the crowd.