Max Verstappen sits just a point off the lead of the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ standings after the Red Bull star won his first race of the season in Japan, yet is far from happy.
The Dutchman produced one of the all-time great qualifying laps at Suzuka last weekend to steal pole position away from McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. It would prove to even be decisive in the outcome of the race as Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix.
Suzuka’s resurfaced track negated McLaren’s tyre wear advantage, leaving Norris and Piastri largely unable to mount a serious challenge to Verstappen. Now, the Red Bull racer only has to out-score Norris by two points in the Bahrain Grand Prix to lead the F1 drivers’ standings.
Martin Brundle disagrees with Max Verstappen’s complaints about Red Bull’s 2025 F1 car
Yet Verstappen has frequently bemoaned the balance of his RB21 this season. The 27-year-old rued its inconsistency from corner to corner in China and stated it is ‘still what we need to work on’ after his pole in Japan. But Martin Brundle does not share Verstappen’s stance.
Red Bull are working on updates to help the RB21’s corner balance but will not sacrifice their car’s braking, which was crucial for Verstappen’s pole in Japan. The way Verstappen tackled Suzuka’s Esses also proved to Brundle that his RB21 is not as bad as the Red Bull driver says.
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“Masterclass qualifying lap,” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (11/04, 12:03). “Something quite spectacular. The speed he took through some really challenging corners like the first Degner corner – the legendary one that’s unsighted – you’ve got to be supremely accurate there.
“Just generally, the way he carried the car – I’ve got to say, the car didn’t look too evil from where I was watching from. It’s sticking to the road pretty well. But Max really stood up in the seat and delivered a lap that, of course, would win him the Grand Prix.”
Max Verstappen tamed Red Bull’s balance problems in Japan but must now keep it up
Verstappen tamed Red Bull’s balance problems to take the pole position for the Japanese GP that impressed Brundle. But only the four-time reigning champion would, with Yuki Tsunoda asking for a high downforce rear wing on his RB21 to feel comfortable on his Red Bull debut.
Red Bull took downforce off Verstappen’s car to improve his straight-line speed and he dealt with the impacts to win at Suzuka. But while McLaren boss Andrea Stella feels Verstappen is ‘making the difference’ in the RB21, it will be ‘very difficult’ for him to maintain it all season.
So, while Brundle may not think the RB21 looked ‘too evil’ at Suzuka, it likely only appeared that way due to Verstappen. If Tsunoda can also manage with less downforce on his RB21 to put two Red Bulls in the fight with both McLarens, then his complaints will seem misplaced.
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