Max Verstappen isn’t losing sleep over his 2025 title defense plans just yet. The three-time world champion told Sky Sports he’s taking things one step at a time as he faces his toughest competition in years.
“There’s a lot of things that you make me think about that I actually don’t think about,” Verstappen told Sky’s David Croft during the Melbourne press conference. “It’s actually way more relaxing to just go into it, trust the people around you, and go from there.”
The Dutchman’s approach remains straightforward despite mounting pressure.
“Work hard on and off track, try to address things that you don’t like in a car or whatever, and always try to do the best on track yourself,” he explained. “Try to minimize mistakes and keep scoring points.”
For the first time since 2021, Red Bull doesn’t look like the runaway favorite.
McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes are all breathing down Verstappen’s neck as the season heats up. It’s a dramatic shift from the past two years when Verstappen cruised to dominant championships in both 2022 and 2023.
The second half of 2024 showed cracks in Red Bull’s armor. While Verstappen still claimed the title comfortably, it was clear the competition was catching up.
When asked if this might be his toughest title defense yet, Verstappen brushed off the question.
“I don’t know. I don’t think about it,” he said. “There’s no reason to think about that yet.”
Based on recent performances, McLaren appears to have the edge in raw speed heading into the early races. This could force Verstappen to rely more on his racing instincts than pure car advantage – something fans haven’t seen him need to do in quite some time.
