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Christian Horner has expressed confidence in Max Verstappen’s chances of beating Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to the 2025 Drivers’ title. The 27-year-old currently sits behind the McLaren duo following the recent Canadian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull team principal recently shared his thoughts on the championship battle in an interview with media outlet De Telegraaf. The 51-year-old reaffirmed his belief in achieving the Drivers' title and also emphasized that the team would continue working towards delivering a car good enough for Verstappen to challenge for the title. He said:
“Do I still believe in a fifth title? Yes, even though it will be very difficult. Winning this year is still our big goal. There is only one driver who has managed to win five consecutive championships — Michael Schumacher.”
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“One thing is for sure: we never give up. I have always been the type of person who thinks nothing is impossible. Otherwise, the team would not be where it is now and I would not be in this position. We need to continue to develop the car so that it is good enough for Max to work his magic. That way, we can continue to put pressure on McLaren.”
The four-time world champion, however, narrowed the gap to championship leader Piastri to 43 points following a second-place finish at the recent Canadian Grand Prix. If Verstappen manages to overturn the title lead by the end of the 2025 campaign, he would become the first driver since Michael Schumacher — between 2000 and 2004 — to win five consecutive titles in the storied history of the sport.
Ex-Red Bull driver speaks on Max Verstappen challenging McLaren duo for title
Former Red Bull driver Christian Klien recently shared his thoughts on Max Verstappen’s chances of winning the Drivers’ Championship in 2025. The 42-year-old outlined what he believes the Dutch driver will require to effectively challenge the McLaren pair for the title.
Klien emphasized the need for the Milton Keynes outfit to bring further upgrades to the RB21 challenger to give Verstappen a better shot at claiming race victories. Speaking during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend via RacingNews365, the Austrian veteran stated:
"Yeah, I think it's effective—you should never underestimate Verstappen and Red Bull. All weekend, in qualifying and the race, they were beating McLaren, which is their main competitor.
"...If they can challenge McLaren in the long run for the championship, I think they would need an upgrade that brings them closer—within striking distance, let's say, to McLaren. But yeah, for now and then, he's good enough to be on the podium and challenge them."
Although Max Verstappen himself has often downplayed talks about the possibility of clinching the Drivers' Championship, it must be stated that the Dutchman remains firmly in contention for the crown. Verstappen is the only driver outside the McLaren duo to have claimed multiple race victories during the 2025 campaign so far.
After his P4 finish in Montreal, Piastri is leading the title race with 198 points. Lando Norris fell behind after his crash at the Canadian GP, but still leads Verstappen with 176 points. Verstappen's P2 at Montreal helped him close the gap and has earned 155 points in the 2025 Drivers' standings so far.
