Verstappen hopes to 'achieve a similar performance to Japan' in Saudi Arabia

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a bit like Red Bull's backyard. In four editions, the Austrian team has won there three times, with only one defeat during the incredible 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the victory of Lewis Hamilton after a bitter duel with Max Verstappen. Since then, the team of Milton Keynes is undefeated in Saudi Arabia, with two wins for the Dutchman and another for Sergio Pérez, in 2023. And the Saudi meeting could not come at a better time for Red Bull at the start of the 2025 season...

Indeed, the Austrian team is coming off one of its worst weekends since the current regulations were introduced in 2022, in terms of performance. Used to playing at the front – and only a week after Max Verstappen's tremendous success in Japan – Red Bull did everything wrong in Bahrain. In addition to a tricky and inefficient RB21 to drive, the six-time world champion team got the strategy wrong… and even the pit stops, where a failure of the ignition system to warn the driver when he can restart from his position cost Max Verstappen and Yuki tsunoda.

Less degradation in Jeddah, an advantage for Verstappen?

Result: in Bahrain, as usual, Red Bull only scored ten points and Max Verstappen finished in 6th place (with an overtake on Pierre Gasly in the last lap), already equaling his worst result of 2024. Nothing very encouraging for the Austrian team and the Dutch driver, who seem powerless in the face of the domination of McLaren and the good shape of the Mercedes at the start of the campaign. However, the four-time world champion hopes that Bahrain was just a blip and expects to return to form this weekend in Jeddah, on a track that has historically been successful for Red Bull.

“Bahrain was a difficult weekend for us and didn't quite go the way we wanted. We had a few issues that set us back and we still have a lot of work to do on the car to get us to where we need to be. However, last year Jeddah was a good circuit for us, stressed Max Verstappen after the Bahrain Grand Prix. It's a high-speed, semi-urban track that's fun to drive. Generally, tire degradation is less severe on this circuit, which should help us have a better race. We have one last push to make in this third race of this triple header, so hopefully we can find more pace and put in a similar performance to Japan."

A good result in Saudi Arabia will be essential for Red Bull's morale, but also for Max Verstappen's championship. For the first time since 2022, the Dutchman is outside the top two of the Drivers' standings, and even though he is only eight points behind the championship leader, Lando Norris, the McLaren drivers should not get too far ahead too quickly... Max Verstappen knows something about this, having won the 2024 championship by dominating the first part of the season.

ALSO READ > Stella praises Norris' mentality: "It's quite unique how open he is."