Verstappen positive, but RB21 ‘can’t be worse than last year’

After a 2024 season that saw Red Bull stumble from their perch atop the Formula 1 heap, Max Verstappen is breathing a sigh of relief – and maybe a little optimism – about the team’s new RB21.

Last season was a tale of two halves for the Dutchman and his team. The early races were a victory lap, with Max racking up seven wins in the first ten grands prix.

But a mid-season development slump suddenly left the RB20 unpredictable, twitchy, and about as balanced as a tightrope walker in a windstorm.

The result? Just two wins in the final 14 races, a third-place finish in the constructors’ standings behind McLaren and Ferrari, and a whole lot of head-scratching in Milton Keynes.

Yet, Verstappen still clinched his fourth straight drivers’ title, a testament to his grit when the car wasn’t quite up to snuff. Now, with the RB21, he’s sensing a fresh start.

‘It Can’t Be Worse Than Last Year’

Speaking on day two of pre-season testing in Bahrain, the Dutchman didn’t mince words.

“It can’t be worse than last year,” he told the media in a candid assessment of his new challenger.

“So I think the direction that we are working into is good. We just need to follow that and see how much we can extract.

“At the moment, it’s really early days - a lot of things we are still discussing and wanting to improve. But yesterday I enjoyed it and that’s already a big difference to last year.”

Last year, “enjoyment” wasn’t exactly the buzzword in the Red Bull garage, so a fun day behind the wheel feels like a victory lap of its own.

The RB21, Verstappen says, is better “everywhere”—a vague but promising nod to fixes in handling, balance, and speed.

The bar wasn’t exactly sky-high, mind you; last year’s car was less a thoroughbred and more a stubborn mule.

Still, the four-time world champion’s not popping the champagne just yet. Testing’s a tease—Bahrain’s smooth tarmac is one thing, but the real test will come Down Under at Melbourne’s Albert Park.

“I think the team learned a lot from last year,” he said. “We tried to solve those problems and now we have to see how the car performs in Australia, which is another completely different circuit [to Bahrain].”

Max’s fingerprints on the Fix

So, how much of Verstappen is in Red Bull's new machine?

“Some cars don’t need much influence,” he explained. “For myself and the team, at some point last year we knew something was up.

“Of course a few things have to be addressed and that’s why quite a few things have changed. So I give my feedback on what I need - the car needs to go faster and that’s what we try to apply.”

It’s not rocket science – Verstappen wants speed, and Red Bull’s engineers were sent back to the drawing board with his notes in hand.

The vibe in Bahrain is cautiously upbeat. Verstappen’s not calling it a championship contender yet, but he’s clearly happier behind the wheel than he was last year, when every race felt like a wrestling match with a gremlin-filled cockpit.

If the RB21 can keep building on this “good direction,” Red Bull might just claw their way back to the front.

For now, Max is keeping it real: it’s better, it’s fun, and it sure as hell beats 2024. Australia will tell the tale – but until then, Verstappen’s got a spring in his step and a car that’s finally playing nice.

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