Verstappen's Manager Signals 2026 Focus After Norris Seals Narrow Title Win

Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen confirmed the Dutch driver's bid for a fifth consecutive title ended effectively by midseason despite a late surge, as Lando Norris clinched McLaren's first drivers' championship since 2008 with a measured third place in Abu Dhabi. Though Verstappen dominated the finale with pole and victory, Red Bull's earlier reliability and strategic missteps proved insurmountable, with Vermeulen stating the team has already shifted focus to mastering 2026's transformative technical regulations.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's first failed title defense since 2020 breaks his streak of four straight championships and validates McLaren's resurgence as F1's competitive hierarchy reshuffles ahead of major rule changes. The razor-thin two-point margin—secured despite Norris never winning a race—underscores how consistency now trumps race-day dominance in the hybrid era's closing chapter.

The Details:

• Verstappen entered Abu Dhabi 12 points behind Norris, needing both a win and significant misfortune for the Briton—a scenario that evaporated when Norris secured third despite Charles Leclerc's late threat for championship-deciding positions.
• Vermeulen acknowledged the title fight was "done around summertime," calling the final-race battle a "bonus card" after Red Bull fell significantly behind following summer races: "We were out of the fight much earlier."
• McLaren's Execution: He credited the team's "very strong" operational precision, noting Norris' consistency offset Verstappen's seven race wins: "They executed it well, and it was not enough for us."
• Team Orders Certainty: Vermeulen asserted McLaren would have deployed team orders if Leclerc had displaced Norris late in Abu Dhabi: "Even if Charles was getting close, I think Piastri was [going to be] asked to swap."
• Resilience Recognized: Despite mathematical elimination weeks earlier, Vermeulen praised Verstappen's unwavering intensity: "Max did everything right... well done to keep the fight going until the last race."

What's Next:

With F1's winter break commencing, Vermeulen emphasized Red Bull's immediate pivot to 2026's ground-effect overhaul and new power unit regulations: "We can live with it, we keep going. And next year, it’s race on again." The team's ability to harness these transformative rules—while McLaren seeks to build on its momentum—will determine whether Verstappen can reclaim dominance or if F1 enters a sustained multi-team competitive era.