Formula 1 last witnessed a no-holds-barred title fight in 2021 when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen raced wheel-to-wheel for the championship, the protagonists recording 14 1-2

F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has brushed off rumours linking Max Verstappen with a move away from Red Bull, stating that drivers ‘don’t win with Aston Martin ’. The Dutchman has been linked with a sensational move to Lawrence Stroll’s organisation for the 2026 season.

Lando Norris attempted to chase down Red Bull's Max Verstappen for the 2024 world championship before falling short - but is now tipped to go even closer this year

One of Max Verstappen's main Formula 1 rivals delivered a title threat to the defending world champion ahead of the new season. The Dutchman survived a dramatic drop-off in form midway through the 2025 campaign to eventually clinch a fourth consecutive drivers' crown.