Max Verstappen has claimed his Red Bull RB21 is doing all he “could wish for” at this early stage of the 2025 F1 season.
The Dutchman has spent just four hours in the cockpit since pre-season testing commenced at the Bahrain International Circuit, but nonetheless got a good first impression of the car he will defend the F1 drivers’ championship with.
As the 63-time grand prix winner readies himself to fight for a fifth-consecutive crown, which would match the record set by Michael Schumacher at Ferrari between 2000 and 2004, he has the whole third and final day of running to further acclimatise to the latest Red Bull machine.
In those eight hours, Verstappen will seek to better establish the extent to which the Milton Keynes-based squad has remedied the issues that plagued its 2024 campaign, when the six-time constructors’ champion slipped to third in the standings.
However, after just one session it was a case of ‘so far, so good’ for the four-time drivers’ champion, who believes it is already an improvement on last year’s car.
“Within that half-day, I think it was pretty positive in terms of balance,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “It just all fell together a bit better throughout the corner and that’s also what we tinkered with over the winter. That did feel okay.
“In terms of pure speed, I don’t know, that’s hard to say and we’ll see in Melbourne,” he added. “But I think this is the right direction. Now we are trying to get some more performance through.
“So far the car feels a bit better throughout the corner. That’s all I could wish for. Of course, we have to look for some performance, but in itself I liked driving the car. That’s already a good start.”
Verstappen: ‘There’s no point’ to studying rival cars
Although, Verstappen is remaining cautiously optimistic. The 27-year-old is acutely aware that initial good feelings could prove short lived.
He explained that the RB21 could, in fact, be a wolf in sheep’s clothing – or perhaps, more appropriately, the other way around.
“If it’s too slow, then of course the car can feel good, but you still have nothing,” he pointed out. “I also used to have a car that felt pretty good, but it was too slow. We’ll see.
“The car changes a lot during the season anyway. Indeed, from the outside the car looks pretty much the same, but of course it doesn’t help if the livery is always the same.”
Slight digs at his own team for its commitment to its tried and tested identity aside, Verstappen also confirmed he would pay little attention to the fates and fortunes of his F1 rivals during the three days of pre-season.
When asked if he would study the performance of his competitors, he highlighted why it was a fool’s errand for him.
“No, because there’s no point,” he replied. “You can guess how much fuel and what engine setting someone is driving with, but I’m kind of done with that after ten years.”
