Jos Verstappen, former racing driver and father of current Formula 1 superstar, Max Verstappen, has staunchly asserted that the blame should not be placed on his son should he fail to secure the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull in 2025.
In the unpredictable world of F1 racing, McLaren has emerged as the top contender to defend the Constructors’ crown, propelling Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to a favourable position to potentially usurp Verstappen. The latter part of the previous season saw Red Bull grappling with the mercurial RB20 car, and without the genius of designer Adrian Newey, they are starting the new season at a seemingly disadvantageous position.
This state of affairs has fuelled speculation that Red Bull’s ride on the wave of success under the current ground effect regulations could come to a premature end this season. However, Jos Verstappen, in an interview with Radio Joe, vehemently stated that should Max fail to clinch a fifth consecutive championship, the onus should not be on him. He further revealed that Max’s commitment to the Red Bull team was not a recent decision, despite ongoing rumours linking him with potential moves to Mercedes and Aston Martin.
Verstappen Sr was quoted as saying, “We have confidence in the team and we give them our trust, but it won’t be Max’s fault if things don’t go well. They must continue to perform. They need to keep building a good car, that’s important.”
The scales currently seem to tip in favour of McLaren, which won the Constructors’ Championship in 2024, and is seemingly well-positioned for a repeat performance.
The Red Bull team, with Max Verstappen at the helm, is on the brink of the 2025 campaign, slated to start in Australia soon. However, they head into this season as perceived underdogs, especially after pre-season testing in Bahrain revealed a performance disadvantage for the Milton Keynes squad.
Despite Max Verstappen clocking competitive lap times, comprehensive analysis indicates that McLaren holds a significant upper hand, with Ferrari potentially outpacing Red Bull as well.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull advisor, spoke to Sport.de and envisaged a “three-way or four-way battle” for the championship among Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. However, he conceded that the Woking-based McLaren squad is approximately three-tenths-of-a-second ahead, stating, “Although, if you look at the test results, McLaren already has a head start. That was the case in both the short and long runs. The current favourite is clearly McLaren.”
As the world braces for the 2025 F1 season, the question looms large – Will Red Bull falter, or will Verstappen surge ahead defying the odds? Only time will tell.
