Speaking with Viaplay ahead of the 2025 F1 season, Max Verstappen admitted he does not think he’ll be ‘in the fight’ in Melbourne

Reigning champion Max Verstappen has said he does not believe Red Bull has a car capable of challenging for victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen has suggested that the RB21 F1 car is not in a position to help secure a race win in the season opener in Australia.

Max Verstappen has voiced a huge concern over Red Bull’s performance for the 2025 Formula 1 season-opener at the Australian Grand Prix. The Milton Keynes outfit were faced with a drop to third place in the constructors’ championship in 2024, after McLaren and Ferrari emerged as their competitors at the front of the field.

Max Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull have “too much work to do” to stop McLaren winning next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, the opening race of the F1 2025 season. After claiming a first Constructors’ title in 26 years in 2024,

Max Verstappen has been Formula 1 and Red Bull's shining star for almost a decade now. Verstappen has picked up four F1 world championships in his time at Red Bull - including a controversial title in 2021 - while two constructors' championships have been won by the team.

While the initial performance may not be at the level Red Bull had hoped for, Verstappen remains optimistic about fine-tuning the car for Melbourne.