How Max Verstappen Can Still Win the F1 World Title in an Exciting Twist
Last year, Max Verstappen gave us an exciting finish to the F1 World Championship by chasing down Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from McLaren, only missing out by two points.
Fast forward to 2026, and a similar battle is unfolding: Red Bull is back in great shape, and Verstappen is as eager as ever to win. This time, though, he’s even further behind Kimi Antonelli in points.
But Verstappen loves a challenge. With the United States GP coming up in Austin, Texas, here’s how he can fight to make this season just as thrilling.
The 2026 F1 title fight has reached an interesting point.
Kimi Antonelli dominated the first half of the season, then Lando Norris and McLaren made a strong comeback. Now, Verstappen is back in the spotlight.
Thanks to improvements in Red Bull’s aerodynamics and the Ford engine, the four-time champ has won the last two races in style.
Could Verstappen pull off the tough task of catching Mercedes’ Antonelli?
It won’t be easy. Verstappen is 119 points behind Antonelli with only six races left. Last year, he was 104 points behind Piastri but had nine races to catch up.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are actually closer to Antonelli, with 102 and 111 points behind him, respectively. Norris and Oscar Piastri are still in the mix too, but Verstappen is the one with momentum.
Verstappen dominated the last two races in Singapore and Bahrain, with Antonelli close behind, finishing second and third. Over those three races, Verstappen made up 28 points on Antonelli, about nine points per race.
But he needs to close the gap much faster to win the title this year. Verstappen has to outscore Antonelli by at least 20 points in each of the remaining six races.
With 25 points for a win and 20 for second place, that’s a big challenge. Basically, Verstappen needs to win every race while Antonelli finishes eighth or lower. Antonelli can only score a maximum of 31 points in the rest of the season.
If Antonelli wins the US GP this weekend, Verstappen’s chance is gone.
Last year, Verstappen almost pulled off the unlikely comeback. Could he make it happen again in 2026?
Meanwhile, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are still in the fight but face similar challenges. Russell needs to gain an average of 17.2 points per race on Antonelli, while Hamilton needs 18.7.
Behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc needs to outscore Antonelli by 21 points per race on average, and Lando Norris by 23.3 points.
Oscar Piastri is no longer in contention.