As the 2025 Australian Grand Prix unfolds, Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s three-time world champion, finds himself grappling with early challenges. Martin Brundle, an astute observer of the sport and a pundit for Sky Sports F1, identified a concerning issue with Red Bull’s car, which seemed to struggle with balance and speed during both free practice sessions.
Verstappen, who has been defending his world title since 2021, could only reach the seventh-fastest speed in FP2, lagging behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by over six-tenths. Adding salt to Red Bull’s wound, Liam Lawson, a rookie stepping in for Sergio Perez, finished 17th, more than a second off the pace in his debut appearance at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit.
Brundle, stationed at Turn 1, was quick to notice Verstappen’s handling issues with the Red Bull car. The Dutch racing driver seemed to be battling a “massive swapper” through the high-speed corner, with his vehicle’s rear end dramatically skidding out. Brundle noted, “Verstappen’s Red Bull was the car that struggled the most through here. He had a massive swapper in the middle and really had to hoover the car up. Though it looked a bit better that time, it was still slightly loose at the back.”
Verstappen’s troubles became more pronounced when the team opted for soft tires for qualifying laps. After aborting his first push lap due to severe understeer — a trait he has publicly expressed his dislike for — Verstappen acknowledged the team’s struggle to find balance with their new RB21. Speaking to F1 TV after the second practice session, Verstappen said, “The balance wasn’t completely off, but we couldn’t get the grip to come alive. That means we’re not really up there at the moment.”
Lawson, who is still adjusting to the senior Red Bull team, confessed his own struggles to Sky Sports F1. He said, “I’m comfortable, just too slow. We obviously have a lot of work to do overnight.” The new RB21, featuring a new floor for this race, seemed challenging to control, and Verstappen completed fewer laps than many of his competitors as the team tinkered with mid-session set-up changes.
Despite the early hiccups, hope remains for Verstappen to turn the tide. He had earlier acknowledged McLaren as the favourites based on winter testing, and with Ferrari also looking strong, the battle seems uphill. However, a potential rain on the race day might just offer Verstappen a chance to showcase his mastery in changing conditions, reminiscent of his stellar performance in last season’s wet Sao Paulo race.
Whether or not Red Bull can find the required pace overnight is uncertain. However, Friday’s practice sessions make it clear that Verstappen has a fight on his hands if he aims to kick off the season with a victory. As the 2025 Australian Grand Prix progresses, it will be intriguing to see how the Red Bull team manoeuvres these early setbacks.
