The 2025 Formula One season will be remembered as the year Max Verstappen nearly pulled off one of the sport's most incredible comebacks, only to see a historic fifth consecutive world championship slip away by a heartbreakingly narrow margin. The Dutch driver, driving for a Red Bull team grappling with internal upheaval and inferior machinery compared to the dominant McLarens, ended the campaign a mere two points behind eventual champion Lando Norris.
The Costly Flash of Red Mist in Barcelona
The slender deficit that separated glory from agony can be traced directly to a moment of fury at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in June. Following a safety car restart, Verstappen, on less grippy hard tyres, defended aggressively against the Mercedes of George Russell. The first contact was deemed a racing incident for which Verstappen was penalised, being told to hand the position back.
Feeling aggrieved by the decision, Verstappen's temper flared. In a petulant and deliberate act, he drove into Russell's car at low speed out of pure anger. This second, intentional collision earned him a 10-second time penalty from the race stewards. The sanction dropped his finishing position from fifth to tenth, resulting in a direct loss of nine crucial championship points.
The Monumental Comeback That Fell Just Short
For much of the 2025 season, Verstappen's title hopes seemed distant. As late as August, he was languishing more than 100 points behind in the standings, with bookmakers rating his chances at 80/1. However, in the latter half of the year, he embarked on a stunning run of fierce and relentlessly quick drives.
Capitalising on strategic errors and setup missteps from the McLaren team, Verstappen orchestrated a triple-digit point swing in the championship. He transformed from an also-ran into a genuine contender, pushing the title fight to the final race. His performance in sub-par machinery was widely hailed as one of the greatest drives in modern motorsport history.
The Bitter Aftermath and a Legendary 'What If'
Verstappen later admitted the Barcelona incident was irresponsible and apologised. However, when questioned in December about whether he regretted the clash more given how close he came to the title, he reacted with irritation. He rightly pointed out that his presence in the championship battle was itself a stroke of immense fortune, owed to McLaren's stumbles.
Yet, the mathematics are unforgiving. Those nine lost points in Spain now loom larger than ever. A fifth straight title would have placed Verstappen in an exclusive club with only Michael Schumacher, cementing his legacy among the absolute greats of the sport. Instead, the story of his heroic 2025 season remains a tantalising tale of a near-miss, where victory was snatched away not by a lack of speed or skill, but by a single, costly moment of red mist.
