Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli walked over to Max Verstappen to apologize after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This was possibly due to Antonelli's error at the Qatar GP the week before, where a late mistake handed Lando Norris two extra points.Max Verstappen almost produced a comeback for the ages in the second half of the 2025 season. He recovered from a 104-point deficit after Round 15 to fall short by only two points in Abu Dhabi. Yet the outcome might have been different without the final lap moment in Qatar during the penultimate race of the year.Lando Norris was running in P5 at Lusail and was struggling to shape up a move on Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes in fourth. However, the Italian rookie slipped up in the closing stages, allowing Norris to take P4 and two valuable points.Those points proved decisive because Norris secured his maiden F1 title by the same margin in Abu Dhabi. After the race, Antonelli approached Verstappen in the media pen to apologize. The 4x world champion told him not to worry. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAntonelli's apology could also have been for the Austrian GP, where he collided with Max Verstappen’s RB21 on the first lap, ending his race. These moments have eventually proved costly in the Dutchman's title defense in 2025.However, as seen in a Yahoo Sports report, Verstappen has maintained that Red Bull’s lack of pace in the first half of 2025 was the real problem, leaving him at a disadvantage in the championship fight.Max Verstappen rages at George Russell question after the Abu Dhabi GPMax Verstappen at the post-race press conference - Abu Dhabi GP - Source: GettyAnother moment that may have cost Max Verstappen the title and has often been raised in the media is his rage-fueled clash with George Russell at the Spanish GP. The incident cost him close to nine points after he received a 10-second penalty for barging into the Briton.Verstappen has already admitted he regrets the moment previously and snapped angrily at a reporter who asked the same question after the Abu Dhabi GP. When the question came up in the post-race press conference, Verstappen replied:"You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season, the only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that would come.""You’re giving me a stupid grin now, I don't know, yeah. You live and learn. A championship is won over 24 rounds. I've also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half. So you can also question that," he added after a brief pause.Max Verstappen grew frustrated after a late safety car in Barcelona forced him onto hard tires, and he lost a place to Charles Leclerc on the restart. George Russell then attacked him as well, forcing Verstappen onto the run-off. Told to hand the place back, he then dived inside at turn 5 and hit the Mercedes that had just got ahead, earning a 10-second penalty that dropped him to ninth.