Pundit doesn't write off Verstappen's title, but: '2025 is make or break'
Red Bull Contentpool
F1 News
Christijan Albers believes Max Verstappen can still become world champion in 2025, although the former F1 driver also realises it is going to be very difficult given Red Bull Racing's current form and that of its competitors.
In De Telegraaf 's podcast, the current analyst is critical of Red Bull's technical team, which currently does not have the best car on the grid. "It's starting to mess up," Albers observes, then citing a statement by Christian Horner that 'Adrian Newey had 'no influence' on the cars anymore.
The former driver continued: "This is the make or break year. This is the year that [technical director] Pierre Waché has to show with his team where he stands. I feel, when I sit and watch [it] like this, and I analyse Max... When I see how fast he is in the final phase, that there are possibilities."
Albers is looking forward to the first updates Red Bull puts on the RB21. "Maybe then that turnaround will come, [then] they can perform well and the car does improve. Nothing is impossible. We saw that last year too; how dominant they were at the beginning of the season and suddenly McLaren came up."
Albers sees an advantage for Red Bull
According to Albers, however, it is also clear to see that the technical regulations are so well implemented by all teams that it is hardly possible to make a difference with drastic updates. Performance currently comes from fine-tuning the set-up. That is precisely where Albers sees opportunities for Verstappen.
"Red Bull is really top of the bill in terms of fine-tuning with their engineers, from Friday to Saturday, that is incredible. They beat every other team in the paddock in that area," said the Dutchman.
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen.