Max Verstappen has played down his 2025 F1 title hopes, insisting the championship battle with Norris and Piastri is exaggerated.
Verstappen has downplayed his chances of retaining the Formula 1 title this season, claiming there isn’t really a fight with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Fighting Spirit, Fading Joy
The Dutchman currently sits third in the standings after a third of the season, trailing his McLaren rivals by 25 and 22 points respectively.
With two Grand Prix wins to his name from eight rounds, the Red Bull driver has remained in contention by consistently maximising his results, a trait that was key to securing his fourth title last year.
Verstappen was asked to respond to comments made earlier in Barcelona by Lando Norris, who said the Red Bull driver would still be in the title race this season.
“To be honest, I don’t really feel like I’m fighting Lando or Oscar! It’s a title fight that isn’t really one.”
“I’m just trying to do my best and have a bit of fun. But yes, it’s not like this season so far is going to stay in my memory forever.”
“I get more excited if I know we’re going to be super quick. That’s what’s most exciting.”
“The rest… Well, I always try to do my best, but yes, this year so far has had real positives but also, of course, negatives because in some races we’re really far off, which is not enjoyable.”
When told that his fighting spirit hadn’t faded, Verstappen agreed, adding that it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s “enjoying or loving” this season.
Doing Best Without Belief
“That will never go away. But it also doesn’t mean I’m enjoying or loving it. I like it, but so far, it’s not something I’ll remember forever.”
Verstappen was then asked whether this came down to confidence in his team and the development of the RB21.
“It’s not that I don’t believe in it. I just show up at the track and do my best every weekend. I don’t need to fully believe in it. I know that every time I go out on track, I’m doing my best.”
“If it’s with a car that’s capable of finishing fifth, I’ll put it fifth. If it’s capable of winning, I’ll win.”
“I’m not talking about Monaco — that’s special — but Imola was, of course, very positive in the end. But trying to reproduce that kind of performance here… I don’t know. We’ll do our best. But I also don’t know whether Imola was just a really good performance from us or maybe a weaker one from McLaren. It’s very hard to say.”
“Honestly, I approach things very simply, which doesn’t take a lot of energy out of me. I have a lot of free time outside of that.”
Flexible Wing Rule Impact
The main talking point ahead of this weekend revolves around the FIA’s restrictions on flexible wings. The FIA is enforcing stricter testing around the front wing to address aeroelasticity. The impact of the measure remains uncertain, but Red Bull is said to have promised Verstappen some improvement. To what extent?
“Not much. It’ll probably change the balance of the car slightly for some. For us, not too much. I don’t expect any major gains or losses of time between the teams.”
“For us, no. I can say that with a lot of confidence because those wings have never really given us significant performance gains. I don’t know if we got it wrong or didn’t get the most out of them. I’m sure everything is manageable. A good car is a good car. The front wing flexes a bit less. We can adapt.”
Verstappen lays the groundwork for racing outside F1
He has applied for FIA Platinum categorisation
Max Verstappen has taken a key step toward competing outside Formula 1 by applying for a new driver categorisation from the FIA.
A four-time F1 world champion, Verstappen is now classified as a Platinum driver, opening up numerous opportunities from the World Endurance Championship to GT3 races.
Verstappen Targets Endurance Racing
Driver categorisation is a crucial part of the process for anyone wishing to compete in GT and endurance racing.
It underpins the World Endurance Championship and other series like the various GT World Challenge championships around the globe.
This system classifies drivers to help balance competition in a sport where amateurs still play a significant role at the highest level.
Managed by the FIA, these classifications are not automatic and are decided on a case-by-case basis. Verstappen has thus submitted a request.
It’s a significant step, as it paves the way for the Dutchman to enter non-F1 events.
“I did apply,” Verstappen confirmed in Barcelona.
Platinum Path for Verstappen
“I have to do it at some point, so I might as well do it quickly. It’s super simple: you just fill out a form, pay, and a week later, you get the answer.”
And he joked about what level the FIA would assign him!
“I was secretly hoping to get Bronze; I could appeal for Platinum and at least get Silver!”
In reality, as an active F1 driver, Verstappen is guaranteed a Platinum rating.
Verstappen’s efforts now appear focused on securing a place on the grid for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, scheduled for June 21–22, ideally positioned between the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix.
Permit Stands Between Ambitions
However, holding an FIA driver categorisation alone is not enough to enter this event.
It’s a multi-category race with highly varied car performance levels, and drivers must also obtain a “Ring Permit” — officially a DMSB Nordschleife permit (or DPN).
To do so, a driver must have competed on the Nordschleife in other races during a given period, usually through the VLN series, which organises multi-category four- and six-hour races at the legendary circuit.
Eleven such events are planned in 2025, including an “NLS Light” event that excludes GT3 cars like the Ferrari Verstappen tested at the Nürburgring.
Of the other five events, none conflict with Verstappen’s F1 calendar.
A participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring therefore seems like a longer-term ambition, as does an entry into the flagship GT3 event, the 24 Hours of Spa. His Verstappen.com Racing team is entered this year in the Gold category.
Verstappen: ‘Consistency will be key’ in title hopes
Max Verstappen admits Red Bull’s season has been up and down so far. The four-time world champion believes he will need to maximise every result to build a season that gives him a shot at the title.
“I think I’d rather be 50 points ahead than 20 points behind or something like that,” Verstappen said on Red Bull’s TalkingBull podcast.
“Everyone prefers that, of course, but it’s not the reality, and the season is still very long. We wanted to do well in Monaco, and we want to do very well in Barcelona, and that’s how you keep moving forward.”
Focus Consistency Family Balance
“Imola was a very positive weekend for us, and street circuits are always a bit more hectic and sometimes a bit more random in terms of results, but there are still plenty of races where we can do a good job.”
“We always try to maximise what we have, whether that means winning races or not. That’s always what we aim to do — to be as consistent as possible throughout the year without making too many mistakes. That’s always the key.”
Asked about the effects of fatherhood on his daily life, the Dutchman remains calm: “Fortunately, it’s not too hectic.”
“I think that, anyway, as a father, at the beginning, children are so attached to their mother that you’re more like a passenger, and you just make sure everyone is okay and there isn’t too much chaos.”
Verstappen doesn’t believe it will affect his job in the long run: “No, I don’t think you have to change as a driver, to be honest.”
“Once I’m on track, I know what I have to do and I know what needs to be done. So I’m very focused on that. But it’s nice that when you come home, there’s a little girl right there.”
Verstappen not thinking about the title but counting on Barcelona
Max Verstappen has addressed his F1 title chances following his fourth-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, a race where he once again struggled with his Red Bull.
Aside from 2023, the Monaco circuit has been a tough one for the Austrian team’s cars. This weekend, Verstappen again lamented the RB21’s weaknesses over kerbs and bumps.
After qualifying in fourth, he had to settle for the same result in the race, unable to take advantage of the two-stop rule to gain a position.
But the silver lining for Verstappen was that Norris won ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, limiting the damage in the championship. He now trails leader Piastri by 25 points, rather than 22 before Monaco.
“Honestly, I’m not really thinking about the championship. I just want to analyse each race and see what lessons we can take for the next ones because, as you know, development is limited this year with 2026 coming quickly.”
“Of course, on some circuits, we can be a bit more competitive, and on others, we may struggle more. And I think it was clear that, once again, in Monaco, we had difficulties.”
Barcelona Offers Crucial Reset
“But honestly, every year we’ve struggled here with this new generation of cars. Only in 2023 did it go well because we had a massive pace advantage. But all the other years, for me personally, have always been very tough.”
Despite Red Bull’s weaknesses being confirmed in Monaco, Verstappen was overall satisfied with the outcome.
“I think, given our pace throughout the weekend, we did a good job. But yes, as a team, of course, we’re never satisfied with fourth place. But we also have to accept our limitations with the car.”
Now it’s on to Barcelona, without (too) flexible wings… Could that turn the championship around?
“We’ll see the outcome of this rule. The team is counting on it a lot, and on several other things. I hope it goes better in Barcelona. I hope it suits our car a bit more, and it should. But if we’re seven tenths off in qualifying, that wouldn’t be good!”
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