Max Verstappen reiterated that Pink Bull “are usually not the quickest” heading into the 2025 F1 season.
Verstappen comes into the brand new F1 season because the defending champion.
If Verstappen takes this yr’s title, he’ll equal Michael Schumacher’s F1 report of 5 consecutive championships.
Nonetheless, the Dutchman doesn’t look like the favorite at this stage, with Lando Norris the bookmakers’ favorite heading into the primary race in Australia this weekend.
McLaren confirmed excellent tempo all through testing, particularly throughout Norris’ race run on day two.
Verstappen couldn’t full a full race simulation on the ultimate day as Pink Bull centered on bettering the dealing with of the RB21.
Talking on Thursday on the FIA press convention in Melbourne, Verstappen reiterated his view that Pink Bull received’t be the group to beat at the beginning of 2025.
“What sort of form? Optimistic form, I assume. I assume we’ll discover out extra this weekend and after,” Verstappen mentioned. “We are going to attempt to do our greatest. There’s not likely a lot we are able to do. I feel there wasn’t many days. We discovered that there are already just a few areas that we are able to work on, so we’ll proceed to take action.
“I do know that we aren’t the quickest in the mean time. Once more, it’s a really lengthy season. When you would have requested that query right here final yr and on the finish of the season once more it seemed utterly completely different. A variety of issues can all the time change fairly shortly in Method 1.”
Verstappen not sure Pink Bull points are “totally fastened”
Although Verstappen received final yr’s title, it was removed from plain crusing for the Dutchman.
After successful seven of the opening 10 races, Verstappen received simply two of the next 14.
Pink Bull struggled with their in-season automobile improvement because the RB20 turned extremely troublesome to drive.
Whereas Pink Bull had been in a position to make minor enhancements by the tip of the yr, they had been usually behind McLaren and Ferrari on uncooked tempo.
Verstappen stays not sure whether or not the dealing with points from final yr are utterly fastened.
“We are going to attempt our greatest to make it as aggressive as doable as a result of it’s the ultimate yr of the rules. I assume up till a sure level. I don’t know the place that’s.
“You give attention to this yr and naturally you give attention to a complete completely different factor. We are going to make it extra driveable. Bahrain could be very completely different from what we get right here. It’s a bit troublesome to say if issues have been totally fastened or not.
“I assume we now have to be affected person and see how a lot we are able to regain.
