Max Verstappen: “To beat McLaren, Red Bull must become more competitive again”
Max Verstappen admitted that « a lot needs to happen » for him to really challenge for the title against the two McLarens in F1 2025.
After the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has reduced the gap between himself and the championship leader, Oscar Piastri, to 43 points.
This gap could have been much smaller without his outburst of anger at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he received a 10-second penalty after a collision with George Russell.
Title in jeopardy for Max Verstappen?
Max Verstappen aims this year for a historic feat: to become only the second driver to win five consecutive titles, a record so far held only by Michael Schumacher between 2000 and 2004.
Speaking after the race in Montreal, the Dutchman insisted that Red Bull still needed to improve their car if he wanted to hope to compete for the title.
« A lot of things need to happen, honestly, » said Max Verstappen. « We need to start winning races more often. And how do we do that? By being more competitive. »
« This weekend was good, but once again, not competitive enough. As I’ve already said, we sometimes have opportunities to win here and there, but we need to make the car faster. It would be much simpler for us. We are working hard with the team. »
« Of course, improvements are coming, but will it be enough? I don’t know. It’s a matter of minute details in this sport, and every little gain can make a difference every weekend. »
« But what McLaren has shown so far this season is truly exceptional and hard to beat. »
This weekend, they were a bit less efficient, but they remain by far the favorites. And that’s not something one can easily beat. We will really try to improve our car in the upcoming races, he explains.
A setback for McLaren in Canada
The Canadian Grand Prix was the first race of the season where no McLaren driver stood on the podium.
Oscar Piastri finished fourth after losing a position to Kimi Antonelli on the first lap.
Lando Norris, meanwhile, did not see the finish after a collision with his teammate Piastri on the 67th lap.
Red Bull filed a protest after the race, accusing George Russell of unsportsmanlike behavior under the safety car. But the FIA has rejected Red Bull’s protest.
Read also: Canadian Grand Prix: Russell triumphs in Montreal, collision between McLarens
