MELBOURNE – Max Verstappen will bid to win back-to-back Australian grands prix on March 24 and match his record of 10 successive race victories, even as Red Bull struggle to move on from off-track controversy.
Another chequered flag at Albert Park would see the three-time Formula One champion equal last season’s run of 10 wins from Miami to the Italian Grand Prix and leave rivals dwindling further in the rear-view mirror.
“It has been a great start to the year and we don’t know the full potential of the car yet, so now we want to keep the momentum going,” said the Dutchman.
Verstappen led a Red Bull one-two with Sergio Perez in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, though the early-season triumphs have been tempered by team discord and allegations against boss Christian Horner.
The 50-year-old was cleared of alleged misconduct towards a Red Bull employee but the unidentified woman lodged an appeal after her complaint was dismissed, ensuring the controversy will rumble on in Melbourne.
While the saga has had no perceivable impact on Verstappen’s performance, the driver’s father, Jos, said after the Bahrain race that the team risked being torn apart if Horner stayed in charge.
Those comments triggered fears Verstappen may look elsewhere from 2025.
But he confirmed on March 21 that he will honour his contract until 2028 at least, adding that the team are “one family”.
It is not difficult to see why he wants to stay, as Red Bull’s dominance looks set to continue for a while.
Verstappen is already 15 points clear of Perez and 23 ahead of Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc, raising the prospect that both the drivers and constructors’ championships may end up as a repeat of last season’s procession.
At the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, he won a chaotic race from pole, holding off Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after the event was red-flagged three times, with multiple crashes and just 12 drivers finishing.
It was Verstappen’s maiden win in Australia and Red Bull’s first in the country since Sebastian Vettel in 2011.
Perez, meanwhile, is determined to keep pressing hard as Leclerc snaps at his heels.
“Max is driving at a super-high level and I think he is the only driver who has maximised qualifying and the race so far this season,” said the Mexican.
“I have the best possible challenge in him. I must keep evolving.”
With Red Bull’s RB20 performing at a different level to rival cars, the intrigue has once again focused on which team will emerge “best of the rest”.
Leclerc finished more than 18 seconds adrift of Verstappen in Jeddah and Ferrari will be eager to close the gap.
The team were cheered in Saudi Arabia by the performance of British reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who finished seventh as a replacement for Carlos Sainz, though the Spaniard is expected to be back this week after appendicitis surgery.
“I feel ready. I’ve done as much as possible to recover... to be fit for this race,” he said.
Mercedes, touted as a potential destination for Verstappen in 2025 to replace Ferrari-bound Hamilton, have yet to perform at a level that would impress the Dutch champion.
Hamilton finished ninth in Jeddah and lamented three years’ of stagnation for the team’s car. Team boss Toto Wolff admitted the W15 car had not delivered on expectations but insisted it has potential.
“The chasing pack is so close, which means you don’t have to be out by much to lose three or four places on the grid,” said the Austrian, whose team have now gone 25 races without a win.
“It also means you don’t have to find much to move up three or four positions. Maximising the potential of the car each weekend is key.”
Daniel Ricciardo may also feel pressure to perform as he returns to his home circuit for the first time since 2022, this time with the rebadged RB outfit.
The Australian was 16th in Jeddah, with his young compatriot Oscar Piastri well placed to steal his thunder in front of home fans after finishing fourth for McLaren in Saudi Arabia. REUTERS, AFP
