David Coulthard believes Max Verstappen still thinks he is in a ‘one-on-one battle’ for the 2025 F1 title, despite slipping to his biggest championship deficit since April 2022.
The Red Bull ace now sits just third in the drivers’ standings with a 49-point deficit to Oscar Piastri after Verstappen shot himself in the foot at the Spanish Grand Prix. He even has a 39-point deficit to Lando Norris, whom the 27-year-old beat to lift the title by 63 points in 2024.
Verstappen has not faced such a large deficit in the F1 drivers’ championship since he fell 46 points from Charles Leclerc after retiring from the 2022 Australian Grand Prix. He turned the 2022 F1 season around to claim the lead three rounds later, and won the title by 146 points.
Max Verstappen ruled Lando Norris out for the 2025 F1 title after his battle with Oscar Piastri in Saudi Arabia
The Dutchman would only be 38 points from Piastri if not for Verstappen driving into George Russell in Spain. He fell from P4 to P10 with a 10-second penalty, which puts Verstappen one penalty point from a race ban after amassing 11 of his permitted 12 in any 12-month period.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
186 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
176 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
137 |
Verstappen has not thrown in the towel for his title defence just yet, though, as far as David Coulthard is considered. The ex-Red Bull driver believes Verstappen thinks he is in a straight fight with Piastri for the 2025 F1 title after how they fought in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Coulthard told Bild: “I don’t have a crystal ball, but I think Max has been seeing it as a one-on-one battle since the first corner in Saudi Arabia.
“When he tried to overtake Oscar on the outside, as he did so often last year with Lando, the latter held his ground coldly. Oscar showed him, ‘I’m not Lando’. From that moment on, Max knew it would be a 50-50 duel.”
Oscar Piastri played Max Verstappen at his own game after Lando Norris refused to
Norris accepted being second best to Verstappen amid their on-track battles last season as the McLaren ace fought in vain to overturn the 60-point lead his Red Bull rival held over him after the first seven rounds. Yet Piastri threw down an early marker this year in Saudi Arabia.
Verstappen drew a penalty for overtaking Piastri off the circuit in Saudi Arabia after trying to exploit the run-off area at Turn 2, having been run deep by the Australian into Turn 1 for the lead at the start. Piastri showed Verstappen that he is willing to play the Dutchman’s games.
READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend
Norris, on the other hand, rarely showed the same willingness to play Verstappen at his own game last term. Instead, Norris underestimated Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix, with the Briton leaving the door wide open at T1 on Lap 1 for the Dutchman to force him off.
