Max Verstappen was denied a ‘huge’ opportunity in the F1 title fight at the Mexican Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen secured a sixth consecutive podium at the Mexican Grand Prix to keep his slender title hopes alive.

Despite struggling for pace throughout the weekend, Red Bull were able to turn the jets on at the right moment in Sunday’s race. Verstappen’s second stint, after fitting the soft tyres, was incredibly impressive and dragged him into contention for the podium.

His late Mexican Grand Prix triumph means that he now trails new drivers’ championship leader Lando Norris by just 36 points with four races to go. The momentum is split between him and Norris, with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri suffering through a tough period currently.

After a chaotic start in Mexico, Verstappen ‘almost crashed’ his car while taking to the grass following a lock-up at turn one. Fans felt Verstappen deserved a penalty for going off the track and gaining an advantage, as was similarly the case with Lewis Hamilton, but he got away with one.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton reacts to Max Verstappen collision in unbroadcast Mexican Grand Prix radio

Max Verstappen denied ‘huge’ battle for second after late Mexican Grand Prix Virtual Safety Car

Verstappen knows he needs a perfect finish to 2025 if he wants to stand any chance of winning a record-matching fifth consecutive championship. Only Michael Schumacher has achieved that feat in the last 75 years.

Every point is going to be crucial, and a late Virtual Safety Car denied the Dutchman the chance to score three more in Mexico. He would have had the chance to get past Charles Leclerc in the battle for second, but the stewards decided that Carlos Sainz’s car needed to be moved.

F1 insiders think Verstappen will win the title, but being denied such opportunities won’t do his chances any favours. James Hinchcliffe believes that the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car denied fans the chance to see two ‘huge’ battles on the final lap.

“It was a very bizarre situation,” he said on F1 TV. “I don’t think we even managed to get Sainz’s car on camera. We couldn’t even see where it was, which means it was pretty far off the racing line.

“We’ve got the racing lines pretty covered with our great camera crew here on F1TV. I think it was a huge missed opportunity. We could’ve seen a great battle for P2, could’ve seen a great battle for P4.”

READ MORE: Jacques Villeneuve pinpoints the moment he realised Max Verstappen was a true 2025 title contender

Why Max Verstappen will be licking his lips in the 2025 F1 title fight

The next two races in Brazil and Las Vegas make for some very good reading if you are a Red Bull or Verstappen fan.

At Sao Paulo, the four-time champion has never finished lower than ninth (or sixth with Red Bull), finishing on the podium six times in his last eight attempts.

Las Vegas just happens to be McLaren’s weakest track left on the calendar, and a place where Red Bull are planning another upgrade to compound their misery in the development race.

They want to head to the season finale in Abu Dhabi with the quickest car, able to rely on things happening within their control for Verstappen to make yet more Formula 1 history.