Can Max Verstappen repeat the scenario of the 2007 world championship?

History doesn't repeat itself, but its encounters are similar… and the seasons of Formula 1 Also. In 2007, Kimi Räikkönen went into the final round of the F1 world championship 7 points behind the championship leader. Lewis Hamilton, which is equivalent to 12 points using the current F1 points system (25 points for a win compared to 10 at the time). This deficit is identical to the one currently held by Max Verstappen facing his rival Lando Norris approaching the final round of the 2025 season in Abu Dhabi.

18 years ago, McLaren dominated the season thanks to its explosive duo: Lewis Hamilton, a sensational new signing, and Fernando Alonso, two-time world champion. Everything seemed in place to deliver a Drivers' title to Woking… until the stunning return of Kimi Räikkönen, former McLaren driver who had moved to Classic Ferrari for saleA scenario that remains vivid in the team's memory. I want to make sure that if we don't win, it's him (Max Verstappen) who beats us, and not that we beat ourselves; that's important. We have 2007 in mind: two drivers tied on points, the third one overtaking them. “recalls Zak Brown, current CEO of McLaren Racing. The parallel with 2025 is therefore tempting: two McLarens leading the championship, Lando Norris and Oscar piastriand a third driver as a determined hunter – a four-time world champion named Max Verstappen.

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The disturbing parallels between 2007 and 2025

In 2007, Räikkönen won the opening race in Australia, before his season was disrupted by the unreliability of his Ferrari – the same problems that had already cost him titles twice with McLaren. Two retirements, in Europe (hydraulic) and Spain (electrical), hampered his momentum. Yet, whenever the Ferrari was performing at his best, the Finn delivered dazzling performances. With two races remaining, trailing by 17 points and only 20 up for grabs, his comeback seemed like an impossible mission. However, in Brazil, Räikkönen turned everything around and clinched his first world title.

In 2025, McLaren long seemed untouchable. So much so that Verstappen, driving a Red Bull In more difficulty, he conceded that the title was slipping away. Yet, the Dutch lion staged a historic comeback, closing the gap from 104 points to the leader, then Oscar Piastri, after the Dutch Grand Prix to just 12 points behind Lando Norris heading into the final race. Should he emulate Räikkönen and win a fifth consecutive title, he would enter history as the third driver to be crowned champion without having led the championship after the second race, alongside the Finn (2007) and Sebastian Vettel (2010)

It's worth noting, however, that in 2010, it was the third-placed driver before the final round – Sebastian Vettel – who clinched the title. The Red Bull driver went into the season finale 15 points behind Fernando Alonso, who was in first place. If history were to repeat itself… wouldn't it be more likely to favor Oscar Piastri, currently third?