Formula E CEO backs Max Verstappen for 2025 title after $250,000 bet last year
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds asserted that Max Verstappen was the favorite for 2025 after giving $250,000 to charity for last year's title.
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Jeff Dodds, and Max Verstappen (images via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen has dominated Formula 1 in the ground-effect era. In 2024, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds predicted that the Dutch driver would go on to win the title even before the season commenced. Now, Dodds has made another prediction for this year.
Last season, Dodds announced that if Verstappen was defeated, Formula E would donate $250,000 to a charity decided by the winner. Though, he still donated the money after Max Verstappen won the title. Half of the sum was given to Red Bull’s partner charity Wings for Life. While the other half was donated to create for grassroot opportunities for women in motorsport.
The Formula E supremo admitted that 2025 will witness fiercely close competition. Jeff Dodds pointed out that the season was going to be a lot of fun to watch. However, he insisted that Max Verstappen remains the one who is likely to win the title. If the Dutchman wins the championship this season, it would be his fifth title in a row.
I think it’s going to be a remarkably close F1 season. I think it’ll be closer than last season, and the second half of last season was close. Obviously, there’s a load of stuff going on in F1 that makes it very interesting. I would still maintain at the end of the season, I still think Max takes five.
Jeff Dodds told RacingNews365
Formula E CEO pinpoints ‘interesting story’ of 2025
Dodds spoke up on other developments on the grid for this season. He highlighted that Lando Norris might remain a challenge for Max Verstappen. Notably, the Formula E Chief reckoned that Lewis Hamilton‘s switch to Ferrari was an ‘interesting story’ for this year. Meanwhile, Jeff Dodds reckoned that even Mercedes made progress in the latter half of last season.
I think Lando’s [Norris] tail is up. Obviously Lewis [Hamilton] to Ferrari is a really interesting story. I think certainly Mercedes were getting their mojo back towards the end of the season.
Jeff Dodds explained
Certainly, it is all to play for, in 2025. Max Verstappen will push himself to the limit in hopes of securing another world title. However, the four-time world champion can expect to face stiff competition from McLaren’s Lando Norris and even Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. As such, it remains to be seen if Jeff Dodds’ prediction comes true this year.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2441 Articles Published)