Last weekend, Max Verstappen triumphed in an unassailable manner at the Japanese Grand Prix. With a cool-headed qualifying round, he secured pole position, and on Sunday, he crossed the finish line first. This victory offers a glimmer of hope for Verstappen fans, who saw McLaren dominate the first two Grands Prix. However, in the run-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen insists that a lot needs to happen before he even considers a new title.
“Of course, it’s nice to have won a race,” Verstappen reflected on his victory at Suzuka. “In the run-up to the qualification, I was not at all satisfied, so naturally, you are extra happy with pole position. That being said, Lando (Norris, ed.) came very close in the race – especially in that first stint. I knew, of course, that overtaking at Suzuka would be very difficult, but still. Fortunately, we as a team did everything right, although it’s far from as perfect as in 2023. With this car, it’s just incredibly precise.”
Car Still Needs Improvement
In light of the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, much has been said and written about Red Bull’s operating window – only at the cutting edge does the RB21 seem somewhat competitive. This is partly why Liam Lawson crashed in the first race weekends. Verstappen, who has closed the gap to championship leader Norris to just one point, explains that the car needs to become much more predictable if he wants to genuinely compete for the title.
“I don’t think too much about that,” the Dutchman said about his title chances in 2025. “I’m just working on improving the car right now. As soon as we get a bit closer or even on par with McLaren, I know it will be okay. Right now, I really can’t think about a title,” Verstappen concluded cautiously.
