Like Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, four-time world champion Max Verstappen has spoken about the upcoming start of the 2025 F1 season. Next week, the drivers will hit the track for the first Grand Prix of the year in Australia.
Following winter testing in Bahrain—marked by unusual temperatures, rain, and strong winds—teams will have the chance to assess the true potential of their cars in Melbourne.
Who Will Fight for Victory at the Albert Park circuit in Australia?
The Bahrain tests highlighted McLaren’s strength. Both Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen see the Woking-based team as the favorite. Speaking at a Viaplay event, the Red Bull driver stated: “There’s work to do. Looking at the lap times, I think McLaren will be the favorite. Things didn’t go entirely well for us, but we have some ideas on how to improve. I also spent a lot of time in the simulator, even yesterday with the team.”
At least for Melbourne, the Dutchman does not see Red Bull as the leading force: “I don’t think we’ll be in the fight for victory in Melbourne, but we know we can implement some improvements in the coming races.” – he pointed out.
The four-time world champion does not seem very optimistic about the first Grand Prix of the season. During his remarks, Max Verstappen emphasized the importance of upgrades: “It’s never good enough, of course, but maybe we expected more from the Bahrain tests. After testing, you have time to analyze the data and draw conclusions. I think things can be further optimized in Melbourne, but as I said, there are still things we need to improve.”
Red Bull RB21’s Weaknesses
After the first day of testing, Max Verstappen found the new RB21 to be an improvement over the 2024 car. However, he is not yet fully satisfied: “In terms of balance, the car feels more cohesive from corner entry to mid-corner. But we’re still struggling with curbs and bumps, which are not our strong point. I keep pointing that out.”
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