Verstappen Confident Despite Red Bull’s Slow Start at Australian Grand Prix

MELBOURNE, Australia — Max Verstappen expressed a measured outlook on Red Bull’s performance during the opening practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix held on March 11, 2025. The reigning world champion acknowledged that despite a quiet start, he was “not positively or negatively surprised” by the team’s results as they began the 2025 season.

Verstappen finished Friday’s running in seventh position, trailing Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by more than six-tenths of a second. The team’s performance raised concern as Verstappen noted, “The balance wasn’t completely out; no massive or major problems. But somehow, the grip was not coming alive.” He struggled particularly in Sector 1 and the final sector of the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.

When asked if he had a clear direction to improve overnight, Verstappen replied, “It’ll be a bit hard to fix. It’s nothing I didn’t expect when I arrived here. We just have to ensure we find a bit more pace, as we are definitely lacking to fight up front.”

His new teammate, Liam Lawson, faced difficulties as well, finishing the day in 17th position, 1.2 seconds off the pace. After hitting the wall at Turn 9, Lawson stated, “I’m comfortable in the car — just too slow. We obviously have a lot of work to do overnight.”

Lawson reflected on a day that did not meet expectations, saying, “Day one, on a new track, we were expecting to have some work to do, but probably not this much. Our long run pace was slow as well; we’ll work on it.”

As the team enters the 2025 season following a competitive 2024 campaign, Verstappen stated, “I know that we’re not the quickest at the moment, but it’s a long season. Last year, things looked completely different by the end.” Red Bull aims to address lingering issues from the RB20 while preparing for new regulations coming in 2026.

Verstappen, in pursuit of a successful title defense, humorously suggested that the key is to trust his team and focus on performance: “Work hard on and off track, minimize mistakes, and keep scoring points.”

Liam Lawson shared feelings of excitement about racing alongside Verstappen this season. Describing the opportunity as “very, very exciting,” he added, “I’ve been in the paddock long enough to understand how the sport works.” Lawson is one of six rookies in the 2025 grid, speaking to his experience and readiness despite being relatively new to full-time racing.

In the final practice before the race, Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets, with only 0.081 seconds separating the top three. Verstappen and George Russell trailed closely. The race weekend continues as the teams prepare for the first Grand Prix of the season.