Max Verstappen expresses concerns about Red Bull’s 2025 prospects but remains confident the team will address critical weaknesses.
Max Verstappen is concerned about Red Bull’s performance level for next year, as the team is currently developing its RB21 for 2025. The four-time F1 world champion believes significant progress is needed to defend his fifth consecutive title.
“If we continue like this, I won’t be champion next year,” Verstappen told De Telegraaf. “It’s as simple as that. We really need to make progress to be competitive next season.”
“We all know this. I trust the team to address the balance issues from last season. Some things we couldn’t adjust last year will be fixed for next year.”
“We know we need to improve on curbs, bumps, and slow corners. Those are usually our weak points. If we are beaten again, it will be purely on raw speed.”
“I always keep the pressure on, including on myself. I try not to take things lightly. At one point, the car was barely drivable. There was nothing more to get out of it.”
Red Bull made a turnaround after Monza, where the RB20 was disastrous, leading to a stronger finish to the 2024 season and better preparation for 2025: “All the plans for new parts, scheduled after Monza, were scrapped. The team started from scratch.”
“Before that, they couldn’t pinpoint the exact issue. I saw some charts when we analyzed the data. I noticed aerodynamic changes in how we entered corners, turned in, and also in terms of ride height.”
“It was different from last year’s car. I said, ‘It’s very clear that this and that are the issues.’ I later learned I was right. I had never seen those lines and graphs before. That’s when I said it was very clear what we needed to work on, because the engineers knew exactly what had been changed compared to last year’s car.”
“At the start of last season, we were still winning races convincingly, but even then, I felt the car’s balance didn’t match what I wanted. At the time, we still had a significant lead over other teams, who perhaps hadn’t had a very good winter.”
After the Christian Horner incident, the team conducted an investigation into Helmut Marko, and Verstappen warned he would leave if the Austrian were dismissed: “I think it was important for me to say that at the time. And I truly meant it. I wasn’t bluffing. And the team knows that as well.”
“Did I have doubts about my future with Red Bull at that time? Well, I wasn’t entirely sure. A lot was happening. But on the other hand, I don’t think that if something goes wrong, you can immediately say, ‘I’m leaving.’ That’s not who I am.”
Verstappen also defended his father Jos’s criticisms of Red Bull during the Horner crisis: “My father quickly sees the bigger picture. And he knows that some things happening affect my future and the team’s future. Some outsiders might not see it that way.”
“Fortunately, when the team was in turmoil, we still had the fastest car. Luckily. Otherwise, it would have been much more difficult for everyone. Once I’m in the car, I only focus on performance.”
- Discover More>Haas F1 Set to Hit Budget Cap for First Time in 2025
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
Verstappen Warns: Red Bull Risks Losing 2025 F1 Dominance Verstappen Warns: Red Bull Risks Losing 2025 F1 Dominance
