For the first time since Max Verstappen won his 2021 Formula 1 world championship, Red Bull won’t go into the season as favourites.
Red Bull have been at the forefront of the current ruleset in F1, helping Verstappen win 19 out of a possible 22 races back in 2023.
However, while Verstappen managed to secure a fourth title last year, Red Bull’s advantage over the rest of the paddock quickly disappeared.
McLaren won in Miami through Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc secured victory in Monaco and Mercedes went on a run of three wins in four races ahead of the summer break.
Suddenly, Verstappen was in damage control mode for the first time since his title battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 and expertly retained his title despite going on a run of 10 Grand Prix without a victory.
Unfortunately, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez couldn’t drive around the RB20’s issue as well as the Dutchman.
Although Red Bull apologised to Perez for not listening to his concerns sooner, the gulf in results between the two drivers forced team principal Christian Horner into a change.
Liam Lawson has been promoted from Racing Bulls in his place after just 11 Grand Prix starts, and in an interview with Racexpress, Verstappen shared how the Red Bull team around the New Zealander’s promotion and his hopes for 2025.
Max Verstappen explains his hopes for the 2025 F1 season with Red Bull
Asked about the upcoming campaign, Verstappen said: “I think my mindset hasn’t really changed.
“Of course, winning four titles has been a dream, more than a dream I would say.
“I’m relaxed, I’m just looking forward to seeing how competitive we can be and from there onwards, also you realise a bit how competitive you are, you set a bit of a target.
“But that’s too early to say at the moment.
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“What I’m looking forward to the most is just to see how competitive we are.
“Of course, as you said, a new teammate in Liam, I’m excited to be working with him as well and I think the whole team is excited and looking ahead to this season.
“Last year has been challenging at times, of course we had a lot of good moments, but also some tough moments and I hope that we can be, let’s say a little bit more stable and a little bit more all round throughout the season.”
Max Verstappen warned about which rivals could challenge him for the 2025 F1 title
Although pre-season testing hasn’t even started yet, although several drivers have been tipped to challenge Verstappen this season.
Nico Rosberg predicted Norris to win the 2025 title immediately after last season finished and he had earned McLaren the constructors’ championship with a brilliant win in Abu Dhabi.
His teammate Oscar Piastri will hope he’s also in the mix if he continues to improve at the same rate as he has over the past two seasons.
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Ferrari is another team that Verstappen has to look out for, with Leclerc and Hamilton both hoping to end the Scuderia’s long wait for a Formula 1 championship.
Meanwhile, the rivalry between Verstappen and George Russell could continue on the track if Mercedes take a step forward.
Lawson and Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli are both outsiders to battle Verstappen, but based on the past four seasons, he seems more than capable of tackling any challenger as long as his car is competitive enough.
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