Max Verstappen has declared that Red Bull’s new RB21 challenger “can’t be worse than last year” as the team gear up for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The Dutch driver, fresh off securing his fourth consecutive world title in 2024, offered his candid thoughts on the squad’s latest machine during a recent media session.
The Red Bulls struggled through a turbulent 2024 campaign, with mid-season setbacks dragging them down the order.
Despite Verstappen’s blistering early form clinching the drivers’ crown, the team slipped to third in the constructors’ standings—a low not seen since 2019.
Reflecting on the RB20, Verstappen didn’t hold back. “It can’t be worse than last year,” he said, his frustration evident.
Optimism, however, flickers beneath his critique. “I think the direction that we are working in is good,” Verstappen added. “We just need to follow that and see how much we can extract.”
The team’s focus now shifts to unlocking the RB21’s potential after a rocky pre-season test in Bahrain, where they logged the fewest laps of any outfit due to minor technical hiccups.
Despite the shaky start, Verstappen remains upbeat about the car’s early promise. “At the moment, it’s really early days—a lot of things we are still discussing and wanting to improve,” he said.
“But I enjoyed it (on the opening day of testing), and that’s already a big difference to last year.”
That flicker of enjoyment could signal a turnaround for the Milton Keynes-based squad as they prepare to tackle the season opener.
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix, set for March 16, will kick off the championship battle across 58 laps of Melbourne’s 5.278-kilometre Albert Park semi-street circuit.
For Red Bull and their star driver, it’s a chance to hit the ground running—or risk falling behind in a fiercely competitive field.
