This weekend's dramatic Formula One season finale in Abu Dhabi presents Max Verstappen with a chance to achieve his most remarkable triumph yet: a fifth consecutive world drivers' championship. If the Red Bull star pulls off this unlikely feat, it could finally begin to fade the bitter memory of the controversial 2021 title decider that first crowned him.
The Ghost of Abu Dhabi 2021
The last time the championship was decided at the Yas Marina Circuit was in 2021, in circumstances that remain a sore point for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. On that day, an unusual interpretation of safety car procedures by then-race director Michael Masi handed Verstappen a last-lap opportunity to pass Hamilton and snatch what would have been the Briton's record eighth title.
Masi was later removed from his position, and a subsequent FIA investigation attributed his decisive call to 'human error'. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has never forgotten, recently stating he felt a loss of control akin to childhood, with "one lunatic" able to destroy the record of the greatest champion. He clarified he was not referring to Verstappen.
Despite the controversy, the result stood, handing Verstappen his maiden championship and launching a period of dominance. Since that day, Hamilton has not been in contention for the title that would surpass Michael Schumacher, while Verstappen has been unstoppable.
The Path to an Improbable Fifth Crown
This year's quest, however, is arguably his toughest. For much of the season, the Red Bull has not been the fastest car. With just nine races remaining, Verstappen found himself a massive 104 points behind the then-leader Oscar Piastri.
A stunning comeback has brought him to the final race just 12 points behind McLaren's Lando Norris, who remains the favourite. The equation is simple but daunting: Verstappen must win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and Norris must finish off the podium for the Dutchman to claim title number five.
Verstappen himself has admitted the scale of the challenge, stating ahead of his recent Qatar win: "I shouldn't be in the fight really but I am here." He even suggested that if he were driving Norris's McLaren, the championship "would already have been won … easily," a comment acknowledged as truth within the F1 paddock.
Solidifying a Legacy of Greatness
A fifth championship would place Verstappen in truly elite company, making him only the fourth driver in history to achieve that feat, alongside Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. It would forcefully cement his place in the 'Greatest Of All Time' conversation.
While his 2021 win was shrouded in controversy, and his 2022 and 2023 titles came in the sport's dominant car, a 2025 crown would be different. It would be a victory seized against the odds, a testament to relentless driving and team execution despite a performance deficit.
For Hamilton and Wolff, the injustice of 2021 may never fully dissipate. But with each passing season and each new Verstappen triumph, the narrative shifts. A fifth title, secured in this manner, would be less about the controversy of the past and more about the undeniable greatness of the present, potentially the finest achievement of an extraordinary career.
