Red Bull Motorsports
F1
What Max Verstappen has to do to win his 5th F1 title
Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing have been on a real charge since the F1 season restarted, but can they still win the title? Yes, they can, and here's how it could be done.
The second half of the 2025 Formula One season is well underway, with the racing world focused on the iconic Singapore GP this weekend. Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen’s seasons have looked very different since the summer break, and they’re certainly not giving up on winning the driver’s championship for a fifth time.
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Max should take advantage of his good form
Celebrating another win in Baku
© Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
After coming second in his home Dutch Grand Prix in the first race back after the break, Max has won back-to-back races, finishing on the top step of the podium at Monza and Baku. He’s still 69 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, but the gap has been reduced significantly in recent weeks. The Singapore GP is the perfect chance to keep the train rolling.
It’s not just Max’s own form that gives him a good chance in Singapore and beyond. McLaren are struggling themselves too. Piastri has added just 15 points to his total in the time Max has added 50, slowing down on the pace at which he was amassing points in the first half of the season.
Max may have an advantage over his papaya-coloured rivals, though. Both Piastri and Norris would be first-time world champions, should one of them finish the year on the top step, but Max has been there and done it before. He knows how to deal with a close championship, and is familiar with the pressure and what it takes to get over the line.
Now is the time to take advantage of his form and keep the pressure on his closest opponents. Win at Singapore this weekend, and again in the USA in two weeks time, and Red Bull Racing fans will begin to believe again. Who knows how Norris and Piastri will react if the standings get closer in the coming weeks, and the chance will be there for Max to win his fifth championship.
A fifth F1 title could still be on for Verstappen
© Simon Galloway/LAT Images/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
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What we’ve learned from Max’s GT3 adventure
Max’s form has extended beyond Formula One in recent weeks, too. Just last weekend, in the middle of the F1 season, he won his debut race in GT3, at the Nurburgring.
Not only is everything going his way, but he’s seemingly enjoying his racing again. He’s a winner, no matter the discipline, and it reaffirms that he’s not going to give up in pursuit of his fifth championship title.
Speaking to formula1.com, Max said: “Everything went well in terms of traffic, and we didn’t make any big mistakes. To win my debut race here is amazing.”
The success of that weekend only highlights how Max is feeling right now, and it's a good sign as the Singapore GP weekend begins.
Of course, this weekend’s Grand Prix is only one of seven remaining races, so Max will have to continue his form until Abu Dhabi in December - unless something goes spectacularly wrong at McLaren. If he can keep winning, keep closing the gap on the current leaders, then he has every chance of winning his fifth F1 drivers championship for Red Bull Racing.
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When to watch the Singapore GP
Verstappen arrives in the Singapore Paddock ahead of a vital race
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images
We’re in the period of the year when race weekend events happen at unfamiliar times for European fans. For the Singapore Grand Prix, you’ll need to be ready to tune in at the following times.
- Free Practice 1 - October 3, 11.30am - 12.30pm CEST
- Free Practice 2 - October 3, 3pm - 4pm CEST
- Free Practice 3 - October 4, 11.30am - 12.30pm CEST
- Qualifying - October 4, 3pm - 4pm CEST
- Race - October 5, 2pm - 3pm CEST
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Current Drivers Championship standings
Before the start of the Singapore GP weekend, the drivers championship top five is as follows.
- Oscar Piastri - McLaren - 324 points
- Lando Norris - Mclaren - 299 points
- Max Verstappen - Red Bull - 255 points
- George Russell - Mercedes - 212 points
- Charles Leclerc - Ferrari - 165 points
Hopefully, this weekend will be another good one for Max Verstappen and team.
