The story of the 2025 Formula 1 season has been one of total McLaren domination, with a battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for the world championship. For much of the season, it seemed like the McLaren duo would fight amongst themselves until the end of the season to see who could clinch their first title.
But few unfortunate races for both McLaren drivers, coupled with brilliant performances from Max Verstappen, have given the Dutch driver a sliver of hope. After he initially conceded the opportunity to win his fifth consecutive world championship, closing the gap to Piastri over these couple of races has seemingly put him back into the mix.
Trailing the Australian driver by just 69 points, if there is anyone on the grid who can make up that ground in seven races, it is Verstappen. While it is possible to be done on pure pace, some more misfortune for McLaren would likely be needed for the defending champion to achieve what once seemed impossible.
Verstappen’s odds continue to climb
At the peak of McLaren’s dominance just a few months ago, the Red Bull driver's deficit to Piastri was well over 100 points. His odds of lifting another world championship trophy were very hovering in the +3000 to +4000 range.
Now the 28-year-old's odds of making the historic comeback sit at +700 on FanDuel Sportsbook, which means a successful $10 bet on those odds would result in a $70 profit. While it's still quite improbable, it marks a massive shift from where things were a few months ago. A small bet would still net a strong profit if it were to hit once the season wraps up at Abu Dhabi in December.
Piastri is still the favorite at -240, followed by Norris at +250.
Odds and availability are subject to change.
The odds are bound to keep shifting race by race, and this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix could go a long way toward determining the direction in which Verstappen's odds move. For the fans who have high hopes for the four-time world champion or believe Papaya rules will backfire, now would be a good time to place a bet. Another strong showing from Verstappen in Singapore could see his odds of winning a fifth consecutive championship become considerably shorter.