Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Max Verstappen has a “psychological advantage” in the 2025 F1 title race. His remarks came after Verstappen narrowed the gap to Oscar Piastri with another impressive weekend in Austin.
Earlier this season, McLaren appeared poised to dominate the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship. But Red Bull’s resurgence in recent weeks has reignited the fight. Verstappen has claimed three of the last four race wins, reducing the deficit to 40 points with five grands prix and two sprints left on the calendar.
The Underdog Advantage in Title Battles
Wolff believes chasing the title rather than defending it offers a mental edge. “Back in the day it was Max, I believe, and then it was Sebastian in that hunt,” Wolff said to reporters after the United States Grand Prix.
“The underdog has always a little bit of a psychological advantage – because if the probability is the odds are definitely against Max.
“I don’t know, I’ve calculated it before, but it’s 19% or 21% – something along those lines. So, you look at the probability that’s very low – one DNF can change everything.”
Wolff noted that a driver with a lead often takes fewer risks, while a challenger can afford to be bolder. That difference, he suggested, was visible at the Circuit of the Americas. “I think that affects the driving, you know how aggressive, can you actually go for an overtake,” Wolff explained. “Maybe you can see with Lando today – he’s done it at the end, but it was tricky at times to decide whether you put your nose in or not.”
McLaren, Red Bull and the Intensifying Title Fight
Lando Norris dropped to third at the start after losing out to Charles Leclerc. He then pushed hard in the opening laps, overtook the Ferrari on lap 21, and regained second position after the final pit stops on lap 51.
Wolff also admitted that Verstappen currently sets the standard. “I think Max is great,” he said. “They’ve just turned the car around and that car is the most competitive at the moment, and he’s scoring the big points. He’s as good as it gets as a driver.”
Verstappen now sits on 306 points, behind Piastri’s 346 and Norris’s 332, heading into the season’s closing rounds. With Red Bull gaining momentum, the 2025 F1 world championship is shaping up to be a nail-biting finish.
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