Red Bull Sets Crucial Max Verstappen Target For 2025 That Sebastian Vettel Missed

Saajan Jogia | 16 Hours Ago

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 28: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing walk in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 28, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko looks forward to another exciting Formula 1 season next year, where he expects Max Verstappen to target his fifth championship victory. This attempt will be crucial as 2025 marks the last year of the current ground effect era which began in 2022 and was dominated by the Dutchman. The 2026 season might not favor Verstappen due to regulation changes, the same factor that prevented former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel from securing his fifth championship in 2014, which marked the beginning of the hybrid era.

Despite a strong threat from McLaren's Lando Norris this season and Red Bull's balance problems on the RB20 F1 car, Verstappen managed to secure his fourth title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But with the F1 grid expected to become even more competitive next season and Red Bull having lost the championship to McLaren this year, 2025 could prove to be a challenging year for Verstappen.

While Red Bull lost the first and second places in the Constructors' Championship to McLaren and Ferrari, Marko revealed that not all was lost this season. He told Sport.de, as quoted by RacingNews365:

"Of course not, but the intentions of staying healthy and celebrating new successes with Max Verstappen did come true.

"For next year, I hope that we do manage to bring home a fifth world title in a row. That was not possible with Sebastian Vettel at the time because of the changed engine regulations."

He added:

"This time, however, the regulations remain stable. On the other hand, that also means that all the other teams will be even closer together, so I'm counting on a very exciting battle between the four top teams."

Although the 81-year-old advisor confirmed that Verstappen was Red Bull's number-one driver, he explored the updated driver lineups of rival teams to assess the possibility of internal conflicts in the future. This threat won't apply to Verstappen since his new teammate, Liam Lawson, has been handed a support role for 2025. Marko added:

"For me, of course, Max is the favourite. With our team composition, Verstappen is the clear number one.

"Whilst at Ferrari there will be a battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri will not simply settle for a role as #2 driver at McLaren."

"I don't know how it will be at Mercedes, that depends on how visible Kimi Antonelli will be.

"So at some teams there will be an internal struggle, something I don't think we'll see with us with Liam Lawson."