Max Verstappen attracts Lewis Hamilton comparison after ‘suddenly’ mounting Red Bull title charge

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Max Verstappen has come out of nowhere and now has a serious chance of claiming a fifth consecutive Formula 1 title in 2025.

The Dutchman had been written off heading into the summer break, and few realised the potential that he and Red Bull harnessed. A few upgrades later, and with five races to go, McLaren are looking over their shoulders as the drivers’ championship fight intensifies.

Verstappen hasn’t really looked like he’s in contention since the very early part of the campaign, but even then, he was fighting against unfavourable odds. The arrival of team boss Laurent Mekies was a welcome change, and he has helped to right their ship and push them in a positive direction.

David Croft thinks Red Bull should grow up after it transpired they had tried to mess with Lando Norris’ grid tape during the start procedure at the United States Grand Prix. It’s hard to deny Verstappen and Red Bull’s clear progress, though, and the team are a big part of that.

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Max Verstappen is performing similarly to Lewis Hamilton in 2022 after sudden title charge

Now that Red Bull’s swagger is back, they’re going to be able to unleash all of the title warfare they have learned over the past few years. Think back to 2021, when they were fighting with Mercedes. There were a lot of mind games involved, and it won’t be any different this time either.

Lando Norris thinks Verstappen is doing a good job and is aware that he has moved to within just 26 points of him with five races to go. Another retirement, like the Briton suffered at Zandvoort, could be detrimental to his hopes.

Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok has now compared Verstappen’s performance to that of Lewis Hamilton in 2022, when Mercedes didn’t quite have the car to win.

“But also, he can sniff the results,” he said. “You know, McLaren used to say that with Senna in the years where the car wasn’t quite there. On a weekend where they didn’t have a chance, it just wasn’t there.

“Where’s his motivation to finish third or fourth? He’s Ayrton Senna. Suddenly, on a weekend where there’s a sniff of a victory, he’d unlock two, three tenths. I think we saw with Lewis, 2022. Car wasn’t there, where’s his motivation?”

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Max Verstappen has just achieved one dangerous feat he hasn’t managed since 2023

Even though he achieved a bit of damage limitation at races in Zandvoort and Singapore, Verstappen has still been able to hone in on McLaren.

His five consecutive top-two finishes are the most he has had since dominating at the back end of the 2023 campaign, when he won seven races in a row to close the year.

If that’s the sort of form he brings to the table for the rest of the season, then McLaren are going to need to be perfect to combat him.

A once-dejected Verstappen is now a contender, and without any pressure on his shoulders and with little to lose, he’s going to be a dangerous proposition.