Max Verstappen calls 2025 his best F1 year despite Lando Norris win

Max Verstappen says he has “no regrets” about a season he believes was the best driving of his Formula 1 career, despite losing the 2025 world championship to Lando Norris by just two points.

The Red Bull driver had resigned himself to not winning the championship after a slow start to the season. But with the team under the control of Laurent Mekies and with a car improving beneath him, he was suddenly in contention once again.

Even as he took his 71st win at Yas Marina, the loss of his fifth championship will inevitably sting, but he insists that the way he dragged himself back into contention after a challenging start to the season has left him more than satisfied, even compared to last year.

Asked if this was the best he has ever driven in Formula 1, the four-time world champion replied: “Yeah, I think so, I mean I have no regrets of my season, I think the performance has been strong.

“I’ve hated this car at times but I’ve also loved it at times and I always try to extract the most of it even in the difficult weekends that we have had.

“It’s been like I said before, a proper roller coaster with the car but luckily the last, I would say, eight, nine rounds in general have been a lot more enjoyable.

“And also in the team, we have a great atmosphere at the moment, we’re really on a roll, positive energy, belief, confidence and that’s exactly what you want also heading into next year.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Zak Brown, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Verstappen and Red Bull looked completely out of the title fight after a number of difficult races such as Hungary, where he finished a minute behind the race winner. But a substantial improvement in performance turned this year into a genuine three-way fight between Verstappen and the McLaren drivers.

That process, Verstappen says, is a large part of what he is feeling following the season’s end.

“I mean at the end of the day it’s always nicer to win it. But honestly, I’m sitting here now with probably a better feeling than what I had last year at this time because the second half of last year was pretty tricky at times as well.

“We have been struggling for I would say a year. The second half of last year and the first half of this year… but I actually feel a lot better now.

“Shame to miss out on the title, but at the same time, for a long period of time, I was not even thinking about the title. I never felt like I was in it until a few rounds ago, so that’s pretty crazy.

“You take your pride in different ways, but I’m happy with myself and also into next year I’m not in a state of having to worry about my skills or whatever, so yeah, I feel good.”