Targeting a fifth Formula 1 world title in 2025, Max Verstappen reflected on his journey with Red Bull and looked to how they can improve from last year, the World Champion calling for "a more solid job" from his team.
As Verstappen prepares for his 11th season in the sport, the Dutchman remains focused on refining his driving and urging his Red Bull team to extract more performance from his car.
In the first official interview on the 2025 F1 season released by Red Bull media, Verstappen looked back on his past championship victories, Verstappen highlighted the challenges he faced in 2024 and the lessons Red Bull can take forward.
Verstappen reflected: “I think the beautiful thing was that every championship that I've won, they have been won in different ways. And of course, last year was definitely a challenging one. We had a great start to the year, then a bit of a tough, tough time, and then at the end of the year, it was quite, I would say, up and down moments.
“But yeah, that can also happen in Formula One. You know, it's just about what we learned from it, and hopefully, yeah, this year, what we learned last year, hopefully we can do a more solid job.”
Verstappen, who made his F1 debut in 2015, admitted it feels surreal to be entering his 11th season at the highest level: Yeah, it's been a while already, of course, in Formula 1 yet to start, my 11th season is pretty crazy already. It does feel already like quite a bit of time that I've been in Formula 1. But yeah, I'm just excited for what's ahead.”
Spa and Zandvoort remain Verstappen’s favourite circuits
When asked about his favourite races on the F1 calendar, Verstappen was quick to name two circuits that hold personal significance: “I think for me personally, the most exciting ones are always Spa and Zandvoort, two great tracks. Spa-Francorchamps is my favourite track. And then, of course, with Zandvoort, my home track, with, yeah, good memories as well. You know, racing there.
“So for me, those are always, I think, big highlights on the calendar, purely because of the driving experience. And, of course, from a fan experience as well," he explained.
Verstappen also expressed his enthusiasm for working closely with the Red Bull team and Liam Lawson, who remains a key part of the outfit’s future plans: “As you said, you know, I've seen Liam grow within the Red Bull family.
"It's going to be very interesting to work together with the team. And yeah, I really hope that, you know, we can do a good job together, you know, to try and improve the car, basically, and make it more competitive.”
With Red Bull having built a strong team culture around him, Verstappen emphasised the value of feeling at home within the squad: “Well, for me personally, I can just be myself, you know. And I think that is very important to be able to just really be yourself within a team.
“Of course, for me, you know, being part of the team for such a long time, it's like a second family, and it does look like we have a bit more fun than the average team on the grid. So I think that's very important as well.”
Verstappen: I just try to always improve yourself,
As he eyes another F1 title, Verstappen remains committed to refining his driving and maintaining consistency: “What I always try to look for anyway is like consistency and try not to make too many mistakes, which, of course, goes a bit hand in hand.
“But, yeah, I just try to always improve yourself, every single year. Even if it’s not car-related, it's just driving-related. You always try to just be a little bit better. I think at this stage of my career, the improvements that you can make are smaller than when I was 18, but every year I would like to become a little bit better.”
Verstappen also spoke briefly about an exciting new chapter in his personal life, as he prepares to become a father with partner Kelly Piquet: “Well, to be honest, I hope not a lot will change in terms of driving. It shouldn't be. And, yeah, it's for sure very exciting.
"I think it's very difficult for me to put that into words until, you know, the baby is born, right? But yeah, it's for sure something that I'm looking forward to a lot. And yeah, looking forward to, like, that whole experience throughout the year," concluded the reigning F1 World Champion.
With pre-season Formula 1 testing on the horizon, Verstappen and Red Bull will soon get their first indications of where they stand against the competition in 2025.
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