Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP
Max Verstappen opens up on Red Bull revival: ‘I wondered if we could still turn it around’
Max Verstappen admits he doubted at times whether Red Bull could turn its 2025 F1 season around, calling his recent wins “extra special” after the team’s difficult run
Ronald Vording
Published: Sep 25, 2025, 3:03 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
With two dominant victories in a row, Red Bull has regained some momentum in Formula 1. The Italian and Azerbaijan grands prix even evoked memories of Verstappen’s glory days of 2023.
However, just weeks before those wins, such a scenario seemed unthinkable. Red Bull had been struggling on tracks like the Hungaroring, where Verstappen finished only ninth, even ending up behind the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson.
The four-time world champion admitted that at times he wondered whether Red Bull could still turn things around this season. “In the end you always go through certain difficult moments,” he commented. “And of course, sometimes you do think, ‘Is this going to be okay, can we still turn things around?’
“But on the other hand, there’s no point to keep thinking like that. You always have to look for solutions, talk to people inside the team, and exchange ideas in a positive way. At the end of the day, that what it’s all about and that's what we have done.”
Read Also:
Since the summer break, things have looked much better for the Milton Keynes-based squad, thanks to a new floor and what Helmut Marko described as a slightly different philosophy.
“We don’t need to try so many things with the car anymore. Not having to make those radical changes during a race weekend makes it much more enjoyable,” Verstappen said.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
Asked by Motorsport.com if Red Bull was now able to find the RB21’s operating window – however small that may be – more often, he answered: “Yes. And that’s down to all the things we’ve learned about this car.”
Although Verstappen wants to wait for the Singapore Grand Prix and stresses it’s too early to talk about a title bid, Red Bull has undeniably made progress. That’s also reflected in the paddock, where the atmosphere at Red Bull is noticeably better than earlier this year, with a crisis meeting held after the disastrous Bahrain round.
“We’ve experienced a lot of incredible moments together over the past years. So when you go through a tough period, of course, that’s not pleasant for anyone inside the team,” Verstappen reflected.
Hence, his recent victories taste even sweeter: “When you see that things are going well again, that makes those wins extra special, especially because of how we got through the bad moments together. The atmosphere is very good now, and that is also important.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team, Dr Helmut Marko, Team Consultant, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
“It gives people a bit more confidence, and sometimes that confidence is really important. They see some light at the end of the tunnel again and know that what they’re working on is actually okay.”
New team boss Laurent Mekies and technical director Pierre Wache played key roles in this turnaround, and asked what was his, Verstappen laughed: “Well, just driving some laps.”
The success actually comes down to the team’s communication with Verstappen, who previously noted that Mekies asks “the right questions”.
He added: “We’ve had a lot of discussions about how we can improve things and how we can test certain elements. In the end it turns out that we’ve handled that quite well.”
In a way, the current trajectory fits a pattern Red Bull has shown before. Even before Verstappen started winning titles, Red Bull tended to start seasons on the back foot before car development propelled it to race wins.
“Yes, that's true, but that was still a very different situation,” Verstappen nuanced. “Back then it was also related to aerodynamics and upgrades, but it's a bit different now with the budget cap.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article All you need to know about ‘TPC’ tests in Formula 1
Next article Every point Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have lost in the F1 title fight
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Ronald Vording
Max Verstappen jokes about rain threat in Brazil: "I've installed antivirus now!"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
17 h
Max Verstappen jokes about rain threat in Brazil: "I've installed antivirus now!"
Aston Martin knew before Mexico GP it would not finish, Honda brings new countermeasures
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
19 h
Aston Martin knew before Mexico GP it would not finish, Honda brings new countermeasures
More from
Max Verstappen
F1 Brazil GP: Friday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
16 h
F1 Brazil GP: Friday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Max Verstappen jokes about key difference with Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He speaks Italian!”
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Max Verstappen jokes about key difference with Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He speaks Italian!”
More from
Red Bull Racing
Liam Lawson’s remarkable form is giving Red Bull a headache for 2027
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Liam Lawson’s remarkable form is giving Red Bull a headache for 2027
Max Verstappen needs "a conversation" with Red Bull engine after "random" engine braking issues
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Max Verstappen needs "a conversation" with Red Bull engine after "random" engine braking issues
Latest news
New WRC constructor offers update on 2027 car development
WRC
WRC WRC
Rally Saudi Arabia
26 min
New WRC constructor offers update on 2027 car development
Why the 2026 WEC season has proven to be challenging for Ferrari
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
44 min
Why the 2026 WEC season has proven to be challenging for Ferrari
Marc Marquez jokes Alex would be a 'bad brother' if he risked title fight
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
55 min
Marc Marquez jokes Alex would be a 'bad brother' if he risked title fight
Ferrari set for crunch meeting as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tension reaches Brazil
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
Ferrari set for crunch meeting as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tension reaches Brazil
Feature
Discover prime content
How F1’s rules got to be so complex
Formula 1
By Pat Symonds
How F1’s rules got to be so complex
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe