Max Verstappen admitted that his hopes of winning the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship are now “over” following a difficult weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The four-time world champion finished fourth in the sprint race and then qualified 16th for Sunday’s main event, falling further behind McLaren’s Lando Norris in the championship battle.

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Verstappen’s Sao Paulo Struggles

Verstappen had been in contention after a remarkable run of form in the late season, closing the gap to then-leader Oscar Piastri with three wins and a second place across Italy, Azerbaijan, Singapore, and the United States. However, the Brazil weekend proved a major setback:

• Sprint race: Verstappen finished fourth after starting sixth, gaining only two positions by overtaking Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at the start and moving up when Piastri crashed.
• Qualifying: Verstappen was knocked out in Q1 for the first time since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, leaving him 16th on the grid for Sunday.

“I can forget about that [the championship], yes, for sure,” Verstappen said candidly after qualifying.

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Car Performance Issues

Red Bull made multiple adjustments to improve the car’s grip, including reverting the floor to an older specification, but Verstappen said the changes worsened the handling.

“We need to understand what our problems are first of all,” he explained. “It seems we don’t really understand why it’s going that way. There was just no grip. I changed a few things on the car and it didn’t work. That’s something we need to figure out.”

The Dutch driver expressed frustration at the sudden drop in competitiveness, which sharply contrasts with the team’s strong performances earlier in the season.

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Championship Implications

With Lando Norris extending his lead to 39 points over Verstappen with only four races remaining, the Red Bull driver faces an uphill battle to defend his championship crown. Unless Norris encounters problems in the upcoming races, Verstappen’s chances of winning the 2025 title appear slim.

“It’s not been good. It seems that we don’t really understand why it’s going that way,” Verstappen said.

Norris, meanwhile, will start Sunday’s Grand Prix on pole position, after a dominant weekend that included winning the sprint and qualifying fastest.

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Context and Outlook

Verstappen’s setback in Brazil comes amid a season of shifting momentum. While he dominated certain stretches, late-season consistency from McLaren and occasional mistakes from Red Bull have changed the championship dynamics.

The remaining races, including Mexico, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, will be crucial for Verstappen to salvage points. However, after his performance in Sao Paulo, even the four-time world champion acknowledges the challenge is daunting.