Thank you, Verstappen, for making us believe that this McLaren can be challenged. Of course, the Dutch ace took advantage of the heavy rain that fell at various moments during the Melbourne race, as well as the Safety Cars, which helped neutralize the gaps. Because after the only mistake that allowed Oscar Piastri to reclaim second place, the papaya-colored cars, even on a damp track, were racing in a league of their own.
Thanks to the unpredictable—whether in the form of downpours or costly mistakes by both young and experienced drivers—the reigning world champion made Norris sweat all the way to the finish line. In the end, second place in the season-opening race is a result beyond the rosiest expectations after the Bahrain pre-season tests. Everyone at the Milton Keynes team is aware that they are not at the level of the English car.
However, at the same time, they know that if they can put a merely acceptable car on track, Jos’s son is capable of achieving results beyond the actual value of the machine. There’s no point in making comparisons with his teammate. Lawson leaves the weekend shaken, after an experience all too similar to that of Verstappen’s former teammates over the past several years. A scenario we have seen repeatedly in recent seasons.
It is illogical to believe that all drivers suddenly become unskilled at the wheel of Red Bull’s second car, just as it would be premature to question the young New Zealander’s talent after just one race. Nevertheless, it is now an established fact that the Austrian team effectively competes with only one car, which does not even help the Hasselt-born champion in potential team strategies. “God helps those who help themselves”—this has been Verstappen’s mindset for several years now.
The provocation
Let’s stir the pot with a thought: why didn’t the four-time reigning F1 world champion, Max Verstappen, dominate in his ideal hunting ground—extreme wet conditions? A question that could have many answers, and we invite you to share your thoughts in the comments. We will read them with great interest, no doubt.
For us, the answer also lies in the amount of rain. McLaren is truly unbeatable in damp conditions that gradually dry out. Just think back to last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, when Lando Norris started lapping 2-3 seconds faster than everyone else, creating a massive gap behind his MCL38. A completely different scenario on a fully flooded track, where the Max Verstappen-Red Bull duo becomes truly unbeatable—just look at Interlagos 2024.
Points in the bag while waiting for the first upgrade
In the end, second place is a morale-boosting result for the team as they await the introduction of a significant upgrade package in either race three or four—meaning Japan or Bahrain. Logic would suggest introducing the updates in Sakhir, as has often been the case in recent years, allowing them to leverage the combined data from pre-season testing and the first Grands Prix as a reference.
If the Red Bull RB21 has retained the DNA of the previous technical project, it should feel more at ease in the next two rounds of the championship, which it dominated last year. However, looking back, it’s worth remembering that McLaren wasn’t competitive until May last year, unlike the 2025 technical project, despite the fact that the full potential of the McL39 has only just begun to emerge.
Max Verstappen puts on a brave face
Anyone who has come to know the four-time world champion has certainly noticed that Verstappen took the Australian Grand Prix result with satisfaction. In the final laps, when he had DRS available, he didn’t attempt any reckless moves because the risk factor was too high and could have squandered a result that exceeded the team’s expectations. In the past, he wouldn’t have acted this way.
A reckless move could have nullified the great work done by the Milton Keynes team, from a lackluster Friday practice session to a Saturday that brought half a smile. However, Max Verstappen does not race to be the best of the rest, and his satisfaction is simply relative to the current capabilities of his car. In this sense, the next two races will be revealing, as they should theoretically suit the Austrian car’s characteristics.
At this point, all we can do is wait a few more days. Next Friday, the engines will roar again in Shanghai. It’s a track that, besides being very beautiful, is also quite complete, making car evaluation much easier. And it’s precisely for this reason that we’ll get a much clearer idea of the real competitive hierarchy in the championship. Weather permitting, of course…
Leave a Reply