Max Verstappen: “A difficult race, but fun to play”
Second in a chaotic race, the Red Bull driver showed his composure to take a fine second place in Melbourne.

Despite a single-seater that he’s not yet fully satisfied with, Max Verstappen managed to cross the finish line just a few meters behind the day’s winner, Lando Norris.
« It was a difficult race of course but fun. Lando was better than me in turn 6 so I struggled to follow him in the fast section » said the four-time world champion after the race.
At the end of the race, Verstappen admitted that there was a bit of panic when making a decision as the rain reappeared on the track a few laps before the finish.
« I am happy to bring these points and this result home. It’s a good result for a first race. There was a bit of panic about what to do when conditions worsened towards the end of the race. »
Satisfied with this result, the Dutchman does not fail to mention that the Red Bull is not yet at the level of the McLaren.
« Even though I found it nice to compete in this race, we still lacked pace compared to the McLarens. I still note that I scored 18 more points here compared to last year. »
In 2024, Verstappen was indeed forced to retire due to brake issues.