Verstappen tells Red Bull not to give up: ‘Still a lot to learn this year’

Max Verstappen has called on Red Bull to resist the temptation to write off the 2025 Formula 1 campaign despite the Dutchman and his team’s significant points deficit in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

The Dutchman heads into the second half of the season trailing championship leader Oscar Piastri by 97 points in the Drivers’ standings, while Red Bull is only fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, a whopping 365 points behind McLaren.

Nevertheless, Verstappen remains steadfast in his belief that the bulls can use the remainder of the season to gain valuable insights for 2026, when new technical regulations will reshape the sport.

“I think realistically, it’s going to be very difficult, of course, to fight McLaren,” commented Verstappen in Hungary last time out.

Despite Red Bull’s points shortfall and under-performance, Verstappen remains focused on the bigger picture. He believes the team must maximize every opportunity to learn from the current car, even as preparations for the 2026 regulation changes are underway.

Learning for the Future

With sweeping changes to Formula 1’s technical rules looming in 2026, Verstappen emphasized the importance of extracting lessons from the 2025 season to ensure Red Bull regains its competitiveness in the future.

He dismissed the idea of abandoning the current campaign, highlighting the engineering insights that can still be gained.

“There’s still a lot to learn also this year,” said the four-time world champion. “Of course, the car that has to be built for next year, that is fully on the way. But the engineering side of things, there’s still a lot that we can learn this year.

“So you cannot just say, ‘OK, we’re not winning this year the championship, so we just build it off completely.’ Like I said before, there are always things that you can take from this year to next year.”

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Verstappen’s pragmatic stance underscores his belief that the RB21’s performance issues can provide critical data to refine Red Bull’s approach for the new regulations.

“I think no one really knows for next year where they will be at,” he added, referencing the uncertainty surrounding the 2026 pecking order.

“But I think there’s still a lot of opportunity to learn more about the car and the behaviour of the car. Because still, of course, I know that the cars will be different next year.

“There are still things that you can take out of this year and also implement for next year.”

With ten races remaining on the docket, Verstappen’s leadership will be crucial as the team navigates a challenging season while laying the groundwork for a stronger 2026.

His insistence on learning from adversity could prove pivotal as Red Bull aims to reclaim its place at the top of Formula 1’s fiercely competitive grid.

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