Max Verstappen says Red Bull are not the quickest at the F1 Australian Grand Prix

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has stated that his Red Bull car may not be the fastest at the start of the new season, but he believes the team has made improvements based on last year. Despite this, Verstappen remains cautious about the competitive landscape of the new season, acknowledging the potential for surprises.

Verstappen performed exceptionally well at the beginning of the 2024 season, winning 7 out of the first 10 Grand Prix races, ultimately securing his fourth world championship. However, the competition became exceptionally fierce in the second half of the season, with McLaren and Ferrari posing a significant challenge to Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

Red Bull Racing finishing only third in the constructors' championship surprised many industry insiders, especially considering their dominance in the past two years. As he seeks an unprecedented fifth world title, Verstappen indicated that his Red Bull car might not be the quickest in the season-opening race in Melbourne this weekend.

"I know that at the moment we are not the fastest, but it is a very long season," he said at a Formula One press conference on Thursday. "If you asked the same question last year, then at the end of the season it would be completely different again, so a lot of things in Formula One always change very quickly." Throughout the season, teams implement frequent upgrades to their cars, leading to constant shifts in the competitive landscape across the 24 race weekends.

This year marks the final year of the current regulations, with a new set of rules being introduced in 2026. Teams need to strike a balance between investing in the development of this year's car and the development of cars for the new 2026 regulations. "We will try our best to make it as competitive as possible," Verstappen said. "It's the last year of the rules, so I guess to a certain extent you focus on this year and then naturally a bit on what is happening which is completely different."