Max at F1 75 Live: 'One of the team's strengths'

Published on 18 February 2025 by Stefan Meens

All eyes in motorsports are aimed at London’s O2 arena for F1 75 Live; a spectacle during which the ten Formula 1 teams launch the 2025 season. Oracle Red Bull Racing will unveil the RB21’s new livery with which Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson will contest this year’s championship.

Ahead of the event, Max previews the new season in which the drivers will risk points deductions and bans for 'misconduct' breaches under the new guidelines issued by the championship's governing body, the FIA. In theory, a driver could be banned for a month and be deducted points if he or she swears within the space of two seasons.

“I’m not going to say too much about that, otherwise I’m trouble”, smiles Max. “Personally I don’t think we need all these rules. It’s just a matter of using common sense. I’d rather we focussed on more important things such as safety and the general performance of Formula 1 cars. All of this is unnecessary.”

In 2025, Max will face a new teammate after Sergio Perez was replaced by Liam Lawson. The New Zealander has been promoted from junior team RB. “We’ve seen each other at the photo shoots. I’m sure it’s going to be fine – I’ve seen Liam grow throughout the junior team and he fully deserves his shot with the team. I’m excited to work together and have a great season again.”

The Dutchman continues: “Honestly, we just hope to be competitive as a team again. I think we are a very strong and experienced team, and we showed that last year. We were still maximising our results and that’s a big strength. Let’s see what happens, but it’s always exciting.”

Compared to the previous years, Red Bull is not the out and out favourite. “That’s true, but there’s not much to say about that. I’m ready. I’ve been at home a lot in January, trained a lot and got in to a good schedule and rhythm. But in all my years in F1, I’ve never known in the winter how good or bad we would be. I just have to wait until I drive the car. I’m staying relaxed and look forward to the first race.”