Max Verstappen beaten to 2025 F1 title as supercomputer predicts Lewis Hamilton to enjoy major resurgence with Ferrari
MAX Verstappen is tipped to miss out on a fifth-straight world championship title, according to a F1 supercomputer.
Lando Norris is pipped to beat the Dutchman this time around, with Lewis Hamilton set to enjoy a major resurgence with Ferrari.
Verstappen clinched his fourth successive F1 world title in November, taking him level with the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost.
But the 27-year-old was challenged all the way by McLaren star Norris, who fell short in the final stages.
And now the CardPlayer.com tech whizzes have forecasted a change in fortune for Norris.
They believe the Brit will finish eight points ahead of the Red Bull No1 in the 2025 season.
Norris is predicted to amass 380 points over the course of the year, which the supercomputer believes will be enough to narrowly beat Verstappen to glory.
Meanwhile, Hamilton is predicted is to resurrect from the shadows with a third place finish – but could find himself at least 41 points behind Verstappen.
Many high-profile figures in the sport have questioned whether the legendary Brit still has what it takes after finishing seventh in 2024.
But the AI calculator clearly believes the seven-time champion can make a success of his Ferrari spell.
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The crystal ball technology foresees Hamilton, who celebrated his 40th birthday on January 7, to out-score new team-mate Charles Leclerc by 56 points.
The Frenchman is predicted to rank fifth and behind Hamilton‘s old Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who finished sixth in 2024.
Oscar Piastri is tipped to finish sixth, one place ahead of youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli ,who looks set to enjoy a breakthrough debut season with Mercedes.
That would make him 17 points and one place better off than Verstappen’s new Red Bull partner Liam Lawson who rounds off the top eight.
The Formula 1 supercomputer has also predicted a dramatic final day-showdown at the end of a thrilling 2025 title race.
The F1 drivers’ championship was last decided at the last race of the season in 2021, when Verstappen edged out rival Hamilton in highly controversial circumstances.
And a similarly tight title race is predicted for this year too, but with a less satisfying result for the Dutchman.
CardPlayer stated: “The supercomputer simulates the outcomes of the 2025 Formula 1 season, predicting driver and constructor standings based on probabilities derived from a strength model.
“It uses a predefined race calendar and a scoring system to allocate points for race finishes and sprint events.
“Drivers’ chances of achieving specific positions are calculated based on cars’ and drivers’ strengths, and results for each race are simulated.
“This is done 10,000 times for the matrix, and then the model picks one simulation for its prediction of the 2025 season.”
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon