Max Verstappen has admitted he isn’t expecting Red Bull to have the pace to be in contention to win the first race of the 2025 Formula 1 season in Australia next weekend.
Verstappen has commenced the previous two campaigns with commanding victories in Bahrain which have set him on course to achieve the Drivers’ title on both occasions.
But the recent pre-season test at the same venue has indicated the Dutchman will not have the tools at his disposal to replicate that at the 2025 curtain raiser in Melbourne.
Red Bull endured a troubled end to testing as a revised floor not delivering the desired impression culminated in the update being removed at a cost to Verstappen’s mileage.
That has added to the enigma surrounding where Red Bull stands in the pecking order, but there is little doubt within the paddock that McLaren has the benchmark package.
Verstappen has agreed with that sentiment, as he conceded that he does not anticipate Red Bull being in a position to thwart the reigning champions in the opening round.
“There’s work to do,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “Looking at the lap times, I think McLaren will be the favourite.
“Things didn’t run completely smoothly on our end, but we have some ideas on how to improve.”
“I also spent a lot of time in the simulator, even yesterday with the team.
“I don’t think we’ll be in the fight for the win in Melbourne, but hopefully, we can implement some improvements over the next few races.”
Red Bull ‘expected more’ from RB21
Verstappen has echoed Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache’s assessment that the squad hasn’t made as much initial progress as had been hoped with the RB21.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the step that Red Bull has taken, Verstappen replied: “It’s never good enough, of course, but maybe we expected a bit more from Bahrain.
“After testing, you have time to analyse the data and draw conclusions. I think things can be optimised further in Melbourne, but as I said, there are still things we need to improve.”
Verstappen reveals unresolved Red Bull weakness
Red Bull’s overriding target with its newest challenger had been to address the balance issues which had become embedded in the side’s capricious RB20 predecessor in 2024.
Verstappen’s debut evaluation of the RB21 suggested that the team had succeeded in that ambition as he expressed that the car was much more predictable to drive again.
But Verstappen is concerned that Red Bull’s long-standing vulnerability when it comes to circuits that require a car that can absorb unsettling surfaces has not been resolved.
“In terms of balance, the car feels more ‘together’ from turn-in to mid-corner,” he explained.
“But we’re still struggling with kerbs and bumps, which isn’t our strongest point. I keep emphasising that.”
READ MORE – Red Bull explains concept shift to more compliant RB21
