Verstappen cautiously optimistic ahead of 2025 Austrian GP

Heading into the 2025 F1 Austrian GP, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was caution but optimistic about his chances at the Red Bull Ring. While speaking to the media ahead of the race weekend, Verstappen discussed his chances for victory in front of Red Bull’s home crowd. He also spoke about the importance of maintaining strong relationships with past teammates and his focus on the 2025 season as teams turn their eyes towards the new era of F1 regulations.

Verstappen cautiously confident despite tough conditions at Red Bull Ring

Despite their dominance in previous years, Red Bull are not the favourites to victory at their home race in 2025. Despite this, Verstappen trusts in the team’s upgrades and their ability to optimise performance under pressure.

“Well, I mean, there are no guarantees,” Verstappen admitted when asked about his chances of winning again at the Red Bull Ring, “We’ll always, of course, try to do our best. In the past, yes, we’ve had a lot of great races here. I mean, some, I think, were also unexpected wins.”

While he acknowledged the team’s strong track record at Spielberg, he expected a challenging weekend due to high temperatures and tyre degradation. Still, he stayed focused on maximising every opportunity.

“So, in a way, maybe we come into this weekend again, not as favourites, for sure. But I know that myself and the team will always try to optimise everything that we can. It looks like quite a warm weekend as well, so it’s going to be tough to make the tyres last anyway. But I’m excited. I’m here to do the best I can, and of course I hope to be on the podium.”

Red Bull’s upgrades seen as key to closing performance gap

Verstappen welcomed Red Bull’s new upgrades for Austria, calling them a vital step in their development path. The team had worked tirelessly to bring updates to the RB20, and Verstappen expressed hope they would deliver a performance boost.

“Yeah, I mean, hopefully it gives us a bit more performance. The team has been working hard to get these parts. So, of course, I’m very happy that we have an upgrade here.”

He remained realistic, acknowledging that rivals were also developing. Still, Verstappen emphasised Red Bull’s determination to “keep working hard” and reduce the performance gap.

“And yeah, every little bit forward will help us be more competitive and hopefully close the gap a little bit. But at the same time, we also know that others are also bringing bits throughout the year. So, we just need to keep working hard, keep trying to close that gap down.”

Why last year’s pole lap at Spielberg stood out

Reflecting on his standout pole lap at the 2024 Austrian GP, Verstappen highlighted the circuit’s unique rhythm and his personal connection to it. He credited the lap to smooth driving, braking late, and getting on the throttle early—traits that suit the high-speed flow of Sectors 2 and 3.

“Brake late or go early on throttle, smooth driving. I’ve always felt good here for whatever reason. I think there are always tracks that are naturally probably suiting you a bit better than others. And this one probably suits me a bit better than some others, naturally. I know, of course, it’s our home Grand Prix, but I don’t know. It’s just a flow of the track, maybe in Sector 2, Sector 3, faster corners.”

The importance of a strong car in Spielberg

He emphasised that a strong car is essential at Spielberg, and Red Bull have usually delivered one. While he was surprised by the size of the qualifying gap in 2024, he attributed it to solid execution, especially in tyre preparation—a key factor on such a short lap. He contrasted this with the race itself, which he remembered as “a proper battle.”

“You need a car that performs around here. And I think for most years, our car has been pretty decent. Last year was a bit of a surprise, the gap in qualifying, but I think we really executed the performance well in qualifying with our tyre prep and everything, which on a short lap is not always the easiest. Because I think in the race, it was a proper battle.”

Verstappen explains his approach to car adaptation and performance

Verstappen described car adaptation as a natural, ongoing process. He noted that every driver needs something different from their machinery and that his understanding of what works for him stems from early experience.

“Well, I think first of all, every driver is different. Every driver needs a different thing from the car. So what I need from the car might not work for someone else. That is quite normal. So, from my side, I just focus on what I need from the car, and just go off what I learned from a very young age – how I drive, how I adapt to car situations. For me, it’s a very natural process.”

He rejected the notion that there was anything remarkable about his process. For Verstappen, it simply comes down to feeling, feedback, and progress. He adapts his style to manage balance issues like understeer and oversteer, and if technical fixes aren’t possible right away, he looks inward for solutions.

“It’s nothing really special from my side – how I do things. It’s just how I know how to operate, how to work. We just focus on if I have understeer, oversteer, how can I balance it out, how can I adapt my driving, and how do we move forward with the progress of the car?”

“There’s no rocket science behind it. It’s just what I feel, what the team sees, and you communicate what you want to improve on. Every year you build a new car, and there are always things that can be done better. Then, if things cannot be modified very quickly, how can I adapt as a driver? It is a constant process that you go through in Formula 1.”

Verstappen dismisses media misinterpretation, affirms strong bond with Pérez

Asked about recent media coverage of remarks made by Sergio Pérez, Verstappen dismissed the headlines, insisting they had taken Pérez’s words out of context. He reiterated that he and Pérez shared a “great relationship” built on respect and teamwork.

“No. But I think also how you now worded it is not how he meant it. I have a great relationship with Checo. We’ve always been great team-mates. I have a lot of respect for him, he has a lot of respect for me. That’s it from my side. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing him again soon in the paddock.”

Verstappen also looked forward to honouring a promise to Pérez, who had given him a helmet with a thoughtful message. Verstappen plans to return the gesture around the Mexican Grand Prix.

“I still need to give him a helmet of mine – I promised him that because he gave me one of his with a very nice message on it. I promised him, yeah, hopefully around Mexico, that I can give him mine.”

“So, for me, whatever is written in the media, I know how Checo is, and we have a great relationship,” he concluded.

Verstappen emphasises adaptation and the challenge of finding more performance

Verstappen admitted that having spent his entire F1 career with Red Bull, he has no reference point for other cars. He simply adapts to what he’s given and drives accordingly.

“The thing is that I don’t know any better, right? I’ve basically started with Red Bull, so I only know one car. And that’s how I drive. I adapt to it. Is it the best? Is it the fastest? Is it not? I don’t know. I just adapt to what I have – or just drive what I have under me.”

He praised the team’s success over the years but acknowledged that competitors have improved significantly. The focus now is on finding more performance while operating at the limit.

“And, yeah, it’s been performing for many years very well. We, as a team, have done great things. And this year, last year, other teams have also stepped up. Now it’s up to us to try and find more performance. But every car, I guess, when you drive on the limit, is not easy.”

Balancing current performance with an ambitious focus on 2026 car development

Some teams have already begun focusing on the development of the 2026 car, while still working to improve the current model. In the case of Red Bull, Verstappen admitted that the steps to extract more performance from this year’s car had been planned for some time. Asked about the major regulation changes set for 2026, Verstappen said he had no strong feelings either way. Instead of speculating, he preferred to remain in the moment and focus on the present season.

“No, I mean, of course, I think teams are already focusing also on ‘26. So you try to get more performance out of this car, which is already planned for a while – the steps that come. But at the same time, you know that ‘26 is a big opportunity to get it right as well. So I think, from what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard, it’s been the right approach by the team.”

Open-minded approach to new regulations

When asked about the upcoming set of regulations, Verstappen maintained an open-minded stance. He described his feelings as “in the middle,” uncertain whether the changes would prove beneficial or detrimental. Rather than dwelling on future rules, he preferred to stay focused on the present.

“I’m in the middle, you know. Maybe good, maybe bad – we’ll see. I’m very open-minded, honestly. I don’t even think about it too much – just enjoying the moment.”

Verstappen added that any concerns he might have were ultimately out of his hands, since he wasn’t responsible for writing the rules. His approach remained pragmatic: adapt, optimise, and improve throughout the season, just as he had done under previous regulation changes.

“When I sit in the car next year, we’ll figure it out. I’m not making the rules anyway. Even if I have my concerns, it’s not going to change anything. So I’ll just jump in and drive it, and then we’ll, along the way, get better at it, understand it better – like any regulation in the past. You keep optimising, keep improving, and then just go from there, really.”