Four races ago, four-time reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was 104 points out of the world championship lead. McLaren's Oscar Piastri owned a 34-point lead over teammate Lando Norris in a season that had, up to that point, been largely characterized by the battle between those two drivers in a dominant MCL39.
Things have changed drastically since then.
Verstappen has beaten both McLaren drivers in four consecutive races, winning three and placing runner-up behind Mercedes' George Russell in the other. He is now tied with Norris with five wins this year, and he is just 40 points behind Piastri, who owns a 14-point lead over his teammate.
Max Verstappen resurgence continues at COTA
This resurgence, which included Verstappen winning both the sprint race and the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas this past weekend, has come down to several factors.
First and foremost, the 28-year-old Dutchman has reminded everyone that he is still Max Verstappen, the driver who in 2024 became the first to win a world championship in a season his team finished third in the constructor standings since 1983.
His 34 wins in seasons his team did not win the constructor championship, including 14 since the start of 2024, are the most all-time; only five other drivers even have 34+ total wins. Second, Red Bull have definitely had a much stronger race car since the summer break.
And third, the tension and ongoing drama within McLaren as they deal with two drivers wanting to emerge as world champion has opened up the door for the 68-time Grand Prix winner to make up ground, and he's been taking advantage.
A few weeks ago, Verstappen was listed at +4000 to win his fifth consecutive world championship. Norris even sarcastically discussed how "scared" he was of Verstappen closing the gap to the two McLaren drivers.
But the momentum has clearly shifted toward the Red Bull driver, and now at DraftKings Sportsbook, Verstappen is the outright betting favorite at +150. Piastri is listed at +160, ahead of Norris at +190.
Full Formula 1 world championship odds are listed here and are always subject to change.
ABC is set to provide live coverage of the Mexico City Grand Prix, race 20 of a record-tying 24 on the 2025 Formula 1 schedule, from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez beginning at 3:55 p.m. ET this coming Sunday, October 26. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss any of the action!