Max Verstappen has not finished outside of the podium scoring positions since the Dutch Grand Prix, with his lowest result coming last time out in Mexico where he finished P3, which marked a 3 point cut in the championship lead which exchanged hands, from one McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri, to the other, Lando Norris.

However a P3 in Mexico, was a result Verstappen could only dream of following his P5 in qualifying, which highlighted the issues Red Bull faced all weekend long due to the altitude, a factor that threw the team off and left them unable to fight Norris for the win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The Dutch driver’s podium kept his championship chase very much alive as 116 points are still up for grabs in the remaining four Grands Prix, which the Sprint weekend in Brazil alone accounts for almost 30% of.

In Brazil, Verstappen is expected to continue his title comeback charge, which coupled with Red Bull's no holds barred approach, and the competitiveness the RB21 currently boasts, its chances of success are still very much alive going into the home stretch of the F1 2025 season.

At Interlagos Red Bull's challenger, already free from the balance issues it was afflicted by earlier on in the season, poses a serious threat to McLaren's MCL39, given its recently uncovered ability to exploit slow cornering and traction demanding phases as evidenced by its pole position potential in Singapore.

As such, with the inclement weather forecasted throughout the upcoming race weekend in Brazil, which he capitalised on in the 2024 edition of the race to win all the way from his P17 starting position, Verstappen is one of, if not the absolute favorite to take the double win this year in both the Sprint as in the Grand Prix as well.

Long gone seem the days when Norris would openly - and severely - criticise himself. Granted, there’s very little to be unhappy about given his recent performances. If anything, the Bristol-born driver has managed to turn his campaign around in such a way that he hardly seems to be the same driver.

From mistakes and several lacklustre qualifying performances, from apparent doubts regarding his own abilities and a lingering hesitance to accept his role as protagonist in the championship fight, Norris has flourished into a full-blown title contender.

His move on his teammate, Piastri, at the start in Singapore, highlighted a surge of aggression and certainly provided a boost in his self-confidence levels. His comeback drive at COTA, refusing to yield a potential P2 to Charles Leclerc’s magnificent execution of Ferrari's bold strategy, put his newly-found grit on display once again, and his poise heading into the perilous Turn 1 in Mexico exhibited calm and wisdom, revealing him as the clear favorite to take the title, since he clearly has the almost infallible package to support his title-ready form.

Only on three occasions has Norris been let down by the MCL39, which has been the absolute benchmark this season. In Canada, McLaren's lack of pace - a circuit specific occurrence - failed to yield a podium finish for the first time. In the Netherlands, the British driver was forced to concede a 25 points net gain to teammate Piastri following a DNF prompted by reliability issues.

And in Singapore the Woking-based outfit proved to be subpar to George Russell's Mercedes and Verstappen's RB21, albeit only in qualifying. During the race in the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the MCL39 once again exhibited its clear superiority in race trim.

The man praised for his mental strength, has endured a tough run in the past four races, precisely when his teammate Norris experienced his turn around. For Piastri the home stretch of the tense title fight that engulfs him and his rivals could not have found him in worse shape.

Even after capitalisng on Norris's DNF in Zandvoort, he has seen his lead reduced by Verstappen, and overcome by his McLaren teammate, who now stands at the top of the Drivers’ Standings, even if it is only by a single point.

Given the self admitted adaptation issues he’s undergone in recent races, which team boss Andrea Stella was also quite vocal about, the remaining races will reveal whether Piastri’s loss of form can indeed be attributed to the low grip factor experienced in COTA and Mexico, or if it is instead a result of a, up until now, hypothetical mental struggle triggered by the pressure of the heated three-way title battle.

The Brazil GP’s spot in the Formula 1 calendar, almost ensures larger complications to be compounded on the technical challenge the legendary circuit already poses for teams and drivers alike.

It is currently the rainy season in Brazil, which makes Sao Paulo, the host city, one of the wettest in the world, and as such a high possibility of precipitation is expected, a key variable that could throw a spanner in the works for all championship contenders, except for perhaps, Verstappen, who already boasts two drives for the ages in the storied circuit setting a dangerous precedent for both McLaren title hopefuls.

In 2016, his first season racing for Red Bull, this yielded a stylish P3, whereas last year the Dutch driver was able to claim an epic win after he staged one of F1’s most scintillating comebacks, fighting his way from P17 to the P1, with then championship rival Norris failing to capitalise on his pole position after several errors saw him drop to a poor P6 finish at the flag.

All three contenders will face a gruelling test this weekend in Brazil, where talent, grit, wisdom and hunger will play a decisive role in a race that is well known for determining who will emerge as champion after the checkered flag has dropped on Sunday afternoon.

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