Red Bull's update works wonders: Verstappen talks about the world title again

22:02, 22 May

byNorberto Mujica

Following his victory in Imola, Max Verstappen appeared much more upbeat on the media day in Monaco. Even winning the championship, which Verstappen had previously thought was out of reach, is now a possibility again.

With a big smile, Verstappen joined the media session with the Dutch press in Monaco. After his victory in Imola and especially the race pace shown on Sunday, the Red Bull Racing camp was finally optimistic again. Prolonguing the title run, which seemed far out of sight, is now a possibility again.

‘’I think we have had enough difficult races already. I know, of course, if we are close, then there is a chance. But if you take the average of Miami and Imola, for example, you are still not there. This is such a long season where a lot needs to go right.’’

Laughing Max Verstappen during the media day in Monaco

Does the Red Bull Racing update work?

Verstappen’s words were much more positive than in the past months. In Saudi Arabia, Verstappen stated he was not fighting for the world title but was merely participating in the championship for the sake of it. Similar sentiments were heard in the weeks in between.

Although it's just one race victory, Verstappen looked forward with more confidence. ‘’The update did its job, but I also think we made a big step with the setup from Friday to Saturday.’’

The step that Red Bull Racing made from Friday to Saturday is a trend this season. Often, Red Bull has not been in the picture on Friday, only to compete for the pole position on Saturday. Thus, Verstappen has already clinched three of the seven poles in 2025. In the race, Red Bull often fell back, but that was not the case in Imola.

‘’Friday was just not good. So I did expect it to go better on Saturday, but we were also far behind in the long run on Friday. Making such a big step is, of course, not easy. Everything felt (Saturday) better, only the overheating of the tyres was still an issue,’’ Verstappen answered when asked by GPblog.

Why Verstappen is slower on Fridays

Red Bull and Verstappen performed better than expected in Imola. The updates, but especially the setup, led to better performances on Sunday and even surprised McLaren. Why doesn't it always work out on Fridays? ‘’I think we are not always on top of the setup,’’ the four-time world champion explained. Simply put: if Red Bull finds the right setup, a victory is in the cards.

In Monaco, due to the bumpy nature of the track and the low speed corners, Red Bull normally finds it more difficult, but Verstappen did not rule out a good result outright. Even in the principality, the Dutchman knows that with a good qualifying, he can score a good result, keeping him in the title fight.