How Max Verstappen’s charge has turned F1 title battle into a three-way fight

By Scott Hunt, PA F1 Reporter, Mexico City

Max Verstappen’s charge back into the Formula One championship race has disrupted McLaren’s plans for a team-mate title tussle.

With five rounds to go, Oscar Piastri’s lead has been slashed to 14 points from Lando Norris and 40 points to four-time champion Verstappen.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how a fascinating title race is shaping up ahead of this weekend’s trip to Mexico City.

How has Verstappen got back into it?

Nobody is more surprised than the Dutchman. He declared his chances over before the summer break but has won three of the last four races to charge back into the fight.

Verstappen trailed Piastri by 104 points after Zandvoort just five races ago but has slashed that by 64 points after taking a perfect 33 last weekend in Austin.

Verstappen says that Red Bull and new team principal Laurent Mekies have simply unlocked the potential in their car and the previous struggles – where he won just two of the first 15 races – appear long behind them.

What has happened to Piastri?

Mentally we're still here 🧠#McLaren pic.twitter.com/BgegJN9bW1

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 20, 2025

When Norris’ engine blew up in the closing stages at Zandvoort, Piastri held a 34-point lead over his team-mate and appeared odds-on to clinch his first title.

Neither McLaren driver has won since but the Australian also finished behind both Norris and Verstappen in those four races.

In Austin he was well off the pace, crashing at the first corner of the sprint as Norris was also wiped out, before offering little threat when finishing fifth in the race.

“If we can find our way again, find our pace, certainly for me find our pace again, then I don’t have any major concerns,” Piastri said.

Whether he can do that is the big question hanging over the previously-unflappable 24-year-old.

How do McLaren refind their form?

It will not be through upgrades to their car. While Red Bull continue to tweak their package, team principal Andrea Stella confirmed McLaren do not have any planned updates. Instead, they hope to fine-tune their car and are optimistic that there are tracks remaining which will suit them.

But previous hopes that recent struggles were track-specific appear to be over as McLaren – who already have the constructors’ crown in the bag – admit Verstappen is now a match for them on all layouts.

Will McLaren have to favour one driver?

This is a question that has taken on real significance. McLaren have been so focused on maintaining team-mate relations to ensure total fairness as their drivers were locked in a two-way title fight.

But the landscape has changed now Verstappen has roared into their rear-view mirrors. Stella refused to rule out the need to prioritise one driver in a bid to take the title back to Woking but that would be a major step for a team so determined to be fair to both Norris and Piastri.

Echoes of 2007?

Piastri and Norris have been the title contenders for the whole season, much in the same way as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were in 2007 – albeit in much more civil and less controversial fashion.

But while those two scrapped away, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen won three of the last four races to pip the McLaren duo to the crown by a single point. Who was part of Raikkonen’s team at the time? Andrea Stella.