In a shocking twist to the Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing has candidly declared that his narrow miss for a fifth consecutive world championship by just two points is not a loss in the true sense of the word. The reigning champion fell short of overtaking McLaren’s Lando Norris, who clinched his first title with a commendable third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi finale.
This season’s rollercoaster ride has been nothing short of dramatic, as Verstappen found himself in a precarious position, trailing the second McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri, by a staggering 104 points after the Dutch Grand Prix. What followed was a stunning comeback fueled by Red Bull’s technical improvements, while McLaren stumbled through a series of blunders, including driver errors, strategic miscalculations, and even a reliability crisis for Norris at Zandvoort. To top it off, a double disqualification for both McLaren drivers in Las Vegas due to excessive plank wear added to the chaos.
In a striking statement to Dutch broadcaster Viaplay, Verstappen stated, “We didn’t really lose it, because we were never really in it.” He elaborated that the intense rivalry between Norris and Piastri allowed him to capitalize on their misfortunes, saying, “Because there were two of them, they took a lot of points away from each other. At some point, when things start to go better for us, you find yourself back in contention.”
With eight grand prix victories under his belt—one more than champion Norris—Verstappen remains unfazed by the season’s final outcome. He downplayed the significance of his points loss at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he received a penalty for colliding with Mercedes’ George Russell, stating, “The championship was certainly not lost in Barcelona. We received a lot of gifts ourselves.”
Reflecting on the season, Verstappen emphasized that various factors contributed to their underwhelming performance. “Look, I got knocked out in Austria. But we had so many issues in multiple races. Mistakes with pit stops, weekends where nothing went right at all… There are countless moments we could have done better.”
Verstappen’s perspective is both refreshing and controversial. He argues that even with the tight margin of defeat, the definition of winning is absolute. “In the end, it doesn’t matter if it’s one point, half a point, twenty points. Not winning is not winning. You’re either pregnant or you’re not. You’re not half pregnant, right?”
As the dust settles on a tumultuous season, one thing is clear: Max Verstappen is not one to dwell on missed opportunities. With a fierce competitive spirit and an eye on the future, he is already looking ahead, proving once more why he remains one of the most formidable forces in Formula 1 racing.
