Verstappen debunks popular theory: 'We were very good in '22 too'

One by one, Formula 1 teams have echoed the same sentiment in recent days: At some point during the season, the focus will shift entirely to 2026, when a major regulatory overhaul takes effect. In other words, continuous development of the 2025 cars won’t be prioritised. From his own experience, Max Verstappen knows that the two objectives—focusing on the current season and planning for the future—can be optimised for success.

After all, it's not possible to focus entirely on both the current season and 2026 when completely revamped F1 cars will hit the grid. Speaking to the Dutch press in London, Verstappen stated, "In '21 we also developed the car to the last, and '22 was also very good."

Verstappen won the world title in both seasons, but could he do it again next season? According to analysts, McLaren and Ferrari - judging by the final months of last season - are bigger contenders for the championship. Although Verstappen realises it will be a tough year, he is cautiously optimistic.

Last year showed that you can still win the title even if you don't have the best car on the grid. After all, consistency is key. "If you just have a good car, have a good base and you don't do weird things, wrong things, then you are going to have a good season. With everything we went through last year, you can still be a world champion. So it just has to be a good base," Verstappen explained.