Race Week! A personal take on reigning Formula 1-champion Max Verstappen’s chances in 2025

Max Verstappen, retreived from Pinterest.

Just six more nights to go before the lights go out on Sunday once more. Formula 1 returns to Albert Park, Melbourne, for its 2025 season opener. The upcoming F1-season promises to be an absolute thriller, with various exciting storylines to follow and a seemingly incredibly close pecking order among the F1-teams. During a press event in Zandvoort, Max Verstappen reflected on the winter tests in Bahrain and looked ahead to his chances in Down Under Australia next week. So, with that in mind it is time to take a dive into the chances of the 4-time world champion in the 2025 F1-season.

The past four years have been an absolute blast for Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. The Dutchman has shown incredible speed and perfectly crafted racing intelligence throughout his title winning run. After a thrilling 2021 Formula 1 season where a 23-year-old Verstappen battled it out with 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a run of absolute dominance kicked off for the Red Bull driver. Throughout the 2024 season however, the Austrian racing team lost ground to its competitors as the season unfolded. Fending off his friend Lando Norris, who had a faster car underneath him in the latter part of the season, Verstappen managed to get his hands on yet another world championship. The 27-year-old is therefore heading into the new F1-season with a target on his back, but unlike previous years there is a huge question mark surrounding his and Red Bull’s chances in 2025.

Max Verstappen equaling Michael Schumacher’s five in a row?

Max Verstappen is the type of driver that takes a Formula 1-team to the next level, a true generational legend by now. With multiple records to his name, among which youngest race winner (18 years, 228 days), most consecutive race wins (10), most wins in a season (19), and most consecutive pole positions (8, shared with Ayrton Senna), the Red Bull driver might snatch just one more incredible record in the F1-season ahead. The Dutchman could equal Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher for most consecutive driver’s titles if he extracts enough performance out of his RB21 car. The record of most total titles remains slightly further away however, as this one is still held by Schumacher and Hamilton with 7 titles each.

Michael Schumacher in his F2004 in which he won his seventh total and fifth consecutive world title, retrieved from motorsport.com.

There is no hiding the dramatic downfall in performance Red Bull had during the 2024 season. During the Bahrain winter tests McLaren were labeled as favorites for the title and Red Bull seemed mildly positive with their winter updates. The Austrian team, however, had the least track time of all teams completing merely 304 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit. Soon after completing Friday running at the venue, Verstappen declared there is “work to do” ahead of the season opener. One week later, during a press event at the Circuit Zandvoort in The Netherlands past Saturday, the Dutch driver stated: “I don't think we can fight for the win already in Melbourne,” though he also acknowledged that “everything [on the RB21] can be set up a little bit better in Melbourne than in Bahrain”. Furthermore he described that the RB21, designed by Pierre Waché, is an improvement from last year: “In terms of balance, it does feel a bit better now on corner entry and in the middle of the corner. But on the other hand, there are still problems with the kerbs and with the bumps.”

With this in mind it looks like a record equaling fifth consecutive title might be put on hold for now. On the other hand, like we have seen with Ferrari and McLaren last year, bringing the right updates throughout the season might well put the Red Bull team back into contention for victories. And as long as the car is there or there about, Max Verstappen has shown to get the job done on track, often extracting slightly more from a car than most would hold possible. The constructor’s title, which Red Bull missed out on in the 2024 F1-season, might be a slightly bigger challenge even. Liam Lawson, who replaces Sergio Pérez as Verstappen’s teammate, has only gotten eleven Grands Prix under his belt so far. The New Zealander therefore is the biggest question mark to Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s 2025 campaign.

Incredible personal news

Kelly Piquet, partner of Max Verstappen, in the final stages of pregnancy, retrieved from @KellyPiquet on Instagram.

Drawing away from the fast-paced Formula-1 talk, another item must be addressed when discussing Verstappen in 2025. Since 2021, the world champion has been in a relationship with Brazilian model Kelly Piquet, daughter of 3-time Formula 1-world champion Nelson Piquet. In 2024, the couple announced Kelly’s pregnancy. Verstappen has some experience with caring for a child, as his partner had a daughter, Penelope, prior to their relationship. Kelly is in the final stages of her pregnancy, and the question most people had on their minds was answered this weekend. “That little one is due sometime in April if all goes well. But yes, he has to do those races anyway,” Giedo Van der Garde, racing friend of Verstappen, revealed in a Viaplay event.

On whether welcoming the first child of his own will affect his career, the Dutch driver said: "Honestly I have done it already, so it is not like it is completely new for me. Now it is my DNA, let’s say it like that, but I think it is absolutely fine and I know the baby will be in good hands anyway. So for me, you focus on your racing and then go back to your family." With the incredible talent of someone like Max Verstappen running through your veins, a career in motorsports might be on the cards for Kelly and Max’s child. To this Verstappen said: "Well, if he or she wants to do it and I see that there is talent I would support it, of course, naturally,” continuing jokingly: "But I really hope not! No pressure, just live your life."

Being on the brink of fatherhood and a record fifth consecutive title, the 2025 F1-season will be an eventful one for Max Verstappen no matter the pace of his car. Though I personally believe Verstappen’s words about his chances in Australia in the upcoming week, I do also believe he and Red Bull will be fighting up front eventually. The Austrian team has tons of experience in championship fights; therefore, they simply cannot be ruled out. It remains to be seen however, whether the upgrades arrive on time for Max Verstappen to have a shot at the driver’s title.