Max Verstappen might finally face some real competition in 2025, and Lando Norris could be the one to bring it.
That’s what F1 legend Martin Brundle thinks after watching these two battle it out last season. Norris has really stepped up his game, even helping McLaren grab the constructors’ championship with a win in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen still dominated 2024, clinching his fourth straight title in Las Vegas. But things are changing.
“I think Lando knows how to lead from the front now,” Brundle says. “He probably believes he can win a world championship. He’ll have to get his elbows out and get some razor blades on those elbows in wheel-to-wheel combat with Max.”
But beating Verstappen won’t be easy. The Dutch champion’s aggressive style has made him nearly unbeatable.
“That’s how Max goes racing,” Brundle explains. “He’s tough and that’s why he’s won the last four world championships.”
The 2025 season is shaping up to be incredibly close. With F1’s current rules pretty much maxed out, teams can’t find many new advantages. They’re all also starting to look ahead to 2026’s massive rule changes.
“There’s nowhere to go much with the cars,” says Brundle. “They’ll all tweak them here and there.”
The grid is getting fresh blood too, with five or six rookies joining the action.
Brundle thinks we could see four teams fighting it out at the front. “The top four teams will be uber competitive,” he says. “May the best driver win.”
