Verstappen cautious ahead of 2025: 'Then we set the target'
F1 News
Max Verstappen does not want to push too hard ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season. The Dutchman is curious to see how competitive Red Bull will be compared to the competition, and does not want to set any hard targets before he has that knowledge. One thing he does know for sure is that he is looking forward to the arrival of Liam Lawson and hopes to have a more stable season with him.
“Freedom for me is just being at home and not having to worry about doing the next thing on my schedule,” Verstappen said. “And Monaco is the place I call home. It's where I can relax and do my own thing.”
As the beginning of the 2025 season rapidly approaches, the conversation shifted to Formula 1. Specifically, how competitive the Milton Keynes-based team can be this year after a demanding 2024.
“This year, I'm looking forward to seeing how competitive we can be," The four-time world champion stated. “Once you get a bit of a picture of how competitive you are, you can start to set a target.”
A New Teammate for Verstappen
One thing is certain: Verstappen will start the 2025 Formula 1 season with a new teammate by his side: 23-year-old Liam Lawson. Although the New Zealander has already completed with Red Bull Racing's sister team, he is yet to compete in a full F1 season. It will be Verstappen's first new teammate after four stable seasons with Sergio Perez.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Lawson can live up to his potential alongside Verstappen. After all, at Red Bull, he will be under considerable pressure from both the team and the media. Verstappen is not worried about that and cannot wait for his new teammate to get started. “I'm excited to be working with Liam. I think the whole team is excited. We had a lot of good moments last year and some tough moments, so I hope that we can be a little bit more stable this year.”
This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel
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