Verstappen admits Red Bull issues ‘hard to fix' after challenging opening in Melbourne

Max Verstappen has acknowledged that Red Bull Racing's ongoing grip issues will be "hard to fix" as preparations ramp up for the Australian Grand Prix. This comes as the reigning four-time world champion faces an unexpectedly tough start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Red Bull entered Melbourne as surprise underdogs following a lackluster preseason and struggled during Friday’s practice sessions. Verstappen, uncharacteristically, could only manage fifth and seventh in the first two sessions, respectively. New teammate Liam Lawson's best effort saw him placed 16th.

Verstappen, typically a frontrunner, found himself about half a second behind the leading times set by McLaren and Ferrari. While disappointed, he admitted he wasn't entirely surprised by the performance gap.

"The balance wasn't even completely out," Verstappen commented after the second practice. "There were no massive or major problems. However, the grip just wasn’t there, and we struggled on all four tyres, particularly in sectors one and three. That obviously means we're not up with the leaders at the moment.

"The issue isn't a major balance problem, which makes it harder to fix. But this is basically what I expected coming into the weekend, so I'm not overly surprised by our current pace."

Lawson echoed his superior's sentiments, describing himself as "comfortable, but just too slow." Meanwhile, Team Principal Christian Horner provided some reassurance by telling Sky Sports F1: "The timesheet isn't a true representation of where everyone is; it’s more of an indication."

Red Bull's struggles have allowed rivals to capitalize. Ferrari, in particular, appeared buoyant after Charles Leclerc topped the times in FP2 with Lewis Hamilton close behind in fifth.

Lando Norris, seen as a strong contender for the drivers' title in his McLaren, led the first practice session before falling back. He expressed both optimism and caution: "It's been a good start to the weekend, we've got a good baseline. But I’m not entirely happy, especially concerning the car's balance on low fuel."

High fuel stints, Norris noted, felt more consistent, but he acknowledged, "Low fuel was still a struggle with too many inconsistencies, similar to Bahrain."

His teammate, Oscar Piastri, the Australian young gun, found the first day “encouraging."

Meanwhile, Mercedes displayed strong performance in their long runs, crucial for Sunday’s race, but couldn’t compete over a single lap. "There’s clearly pace in the car," George Russell observed. "The key is maximizing tyre performance, so understanding the why behind this is essential."

All eyes are now on the upcoming sessions and the race, where teams will be keen to address their weaknesses and leverage their strengths in what promises to be an intense season opener.

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