Max Verstappen delivered a terse and pointed response to a journalist in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night, after his victory in the season finale was not enough to secure the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship.
A Title Lost by the Narrowest of Margins
Despite a stunning late-season comeback and winning the final race at the Yas Marina Circuit, the Red Bull driver fell agonisingly short. Lando Norris secured the podium finish he needed for McLaren, clinching the title by a mere two points. The championship battle, which swung dramatically over 24 rounds, was ultimately decided in Norris's favour on 7 December 2025.
In the post-race press conference, a British journalist asked Verstappen if he regretted a specific incident from earlier in the year: his collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix back in June. That crash resulted in a 10-second time penalty and cost the Dutchman a crucial nine points.
'You Forget All The Other Stuff'
Visibly unimpressed, Verstappen snapped back immediately. "You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. I knew that would come, yep," he stated. After a brief pause, he directly addressed the reporter's demeanour: "You're giving me a stupid grin now. It's part of racing at the end, you live and learn."
He emphasised that a title is won over the entire campaign, hinting at fortune that went both ways. "Championship is won over 24 rounds. I've also happened [to have] a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half [of the season] so you can also question that," Verstappen added, referencing errors by rivals like McLaren in Las Vegas and Qatar that kept his hopes alive.
No Regrets Despite Rollercoaster Season
Ultimately, a 12-point deficit heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix proved too significant to overcome. However, the triple-world champion insisted he had no regrets. "I have no regrets in my season, I think the performance has been strong," he reflected. "I've hated this car at times, but I've also loved it at times and I always try to extract the most out of it."
He described the year as a "proper rollercoaster" but praised his team's strong finish. "Luckily, the last nine rounds in particular have been much more enjoyable. In the team, we have a great atmosphere at the moment, we're really on a roll... that's exactly what you want going into next year."
Piastri Praises 'Deserving Winner' Norris
The championship outcome also settled the intra-team battle at McLaren. Oscar Piastri, who had scuppered a 34-point lead over Norris back in August, finished the season 13 points behind his teammate. The Australian was magnanimous in defeat.
"He's a very deserving winner," said Piastri. "I know that every weekend, I go on track, it's going to be tough. I think we've pushed each other through the last three years... it's been tighter than ever." Piastri will now head home to Australia for the off-season, with the 2026 campaign commencing in his hometown of Melbourne on 8 March.
