Verstappen: I don't think we can fight for the win in Melbourne

Verstappen, through his own efforts, managed to clinch a fourth consecutive F1 title in 2024 as Red Bull failed to give him a car capable of winning races in the hands of any other driver, with the struggles of his former teammate, Sergio Perez, ample proof of how bad the RB20 was.

However, the signs, after the 2025 F1 pre-season test in Bahrain was concluded, aren't encouraging for the Dutchman, as it seems his RB21 is behind McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes in terms of pace, as Red Bull had the lowest mileage following the test.

Verstappen himself said the RB21 could not be worse than the RB20, but in a Viaplay event on Friday, he was more to the point about his chances of fighting for the win next weekend down under.

"I don't think we can fight for the win already in Melbourne," he said, adding: "Everything [on the RB21] can be set up a little bit better in Melbourne than in Bahrain."

Asked about his view of the competition and who would be fighting for wins, the Red Bull ace added: "At the moment only one, and that team is orange!

"That's a very nice color, of course, but from our side, we still have work to do. Other teams want to see some improvements as well, I think, so at the moment one team is clearly in front.

“If you look at the lap times, then I think McLaren is the favorite. On our side, not everything went completely smoothly, but on the other hand, we have some ideas on how to improve," he revealed.

Going into more details on the RB21's performance, Verstappen explained: "In terms of balance, it does feel a bit more connected when entering the corners and also in the middle of the corners. But on the other hand, there are still problems with the kerbs and with the bumps.

“Those things are obviously not our strongest points, and I keep mentioning that. It doesn't always have to be said to the outside world, but during the meetings we obviously talk a lot about it," he concluded.