Mumbai, March 13: As the 2025 Formula 1 season gets underway at the Australian Grand Prix, reigning world champion Max Verstappen has acknowledged that Red Bull might not be the fastest team at the moment while Lando Norris has played down suggestions that McLaren are the team to beat. After starting 2024 in dominant fashion, Red Bullā€™s grip weakened in the latter half of the season, with McLaren and Ferrari mounting a serious challenge. Stefano Domenicali Agrees to Five-Year Extension To Stay On As F1 President and CEO Through 2029.

While Verstappen managed to clinch his fourth consecutive Driversā€™ Championship, Red Bull were beaten in the Constructorsā€™ Championship by McLaren. Heading into 2025, Verstappen is expecting an even tougher battle.

"I know that we are not the quickest at the moment," Verstappen told reporters on media day. "But itā€™s a long season. If you had asked the same question here last year, by the end of the season, everything looked completely different. So a lot of things can always change quite quickly in Formula 1."

Red Bullā€™s RB21 showed flashes of improvement during pre-season testing, but Verstappen remains cautious about the carā€™s outright competitiveness.

"Naturally, thereā€™s an improvement from last year, but there are still things we need to work on," he explained. "Bahrain was just a test, and now weā€™re at a completely different track. Weā€™ll see how we stack up here."

While Red Bull are managing expectations, McLaren have been tipped as early favourites following their strong pre-season showing. However, Norris - who pushed Verstappen hard in 2024 - has dismissed the idea that McLaren have an edge over their rivals. F1 2025: Jonathan Wheatley To Take Charge As Kick Sauber Team Principal From April 1.

"I donā€™t think we are superior to our competitors," Norris said. "Thereā€™s been a lot of talk, but I really donā€™t think weā€™re any further ahead than we were last season. Itā€™s going to be a tough weekend, and weā€™ll be fighting with everyone."

With McLarenā€™s late-season resurgence last year, some rivals have suggested that the team may have an advantage heading into 2025. However, Norris was quick to reject such claims, hinting that the narrative may be exaggerated.

"I donā€™t know what other teams are doing, but they love a chat, thatā€™s for sure!" he joked. "But it doesnā€™t matter. Weā€™ll see what happens in the next few days. We had a good test in Bahrain, but that doesnā€™t mean weā€™re quicker than the others. I think people will be surprised when the real racing starts."

The 25-year-old also suggested that low-fuel testing times may have given a false impression of McLarenā€™s pace, adding, "I think a lot of teams were hiding things. We donā€™t think weā€™re ahead of anyone. Weā€™re in a very similar ballpark to our three main rivals, and we need to work hard to stay ahead."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 13, 2025 04:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).