Max Verstappen at Viaplay's F1 season launch: 'There is still work to do'

Published on 07 March 2025 by Misha van der Kroon

At Circuit Zandvoort, Viaplay officially kicked off the Formula 1 season for the Dutch press. Max Verstappen also contributed to the kick-off, joining via video call from Monza. The four-time World Champion reflected on winter testing, looked ahead to the season, and spoke about Verstappen.com Racing.

How do you feel after winter testing?

"There's work to do. Looking at the lap times, I think McLaren will be the favourite. Things didn’t run completely smoothly on our end, but we have some ideas on how to improve. I also spent a lot of time in the simulator, even yesterday with the team. I don’t think we’ll be in the fight for the win in Melbourne, but hopefully, we can implement some improvements over the next few races."

Are you happy with the upgrades and the steps the team has taken over the winter?

"It’s never good enough, of course, but maybe we expected a bit more from Bahrain. After testing, you have time to analyse the data and draw conclusions. I think things can be optimised further in Melbourne, but as I said, there are still things we need to improve."

Does the car feel different from last year?

"In terms of balance, the car feels more ‘together’ from turn-in to mid-corner. But we’re still struggling with kerbs and bumps, which isn’t our strongest point. I keep emphasising that."

Verstappen.com Racing is now giving a sim racer the chance to step into a real car. How does that work?

"We’re working on that now. I’m in Monza today for testing, keeping an eye on everything and seeing how things develop. There’s still work to do, but that’s normal. Fine-tuning the car while also working with the drivers. In endurance racing, we have three drivers sharing a car, while in the sprint category, it’s two. Step by step, we’re improving things. Also, for Chris, our sim driver, we’re helping him to get comfortable in the car. You can prepare well in the simulator, but it feels completely different when you're actually in the car, especially with the G-forces, which make everything feel much more extreme."

Have you driven yourself?

"Not today. I was in the simulator yesterday, and since we already have three drivers in the car, adding a fourth would be a bit much. But two weeks ago, I got some laps in at Paul Ricard. I really enjoy that, of course."

How does the transition work for a sim racer stepping into a real car?

"There are a lot of good sim racers who can put in a fast lap, but it’s really about understanding how things work, how well you handle setup changes, how quickly you adapt to different conditions and cars. Chris was already very strong at that in the simulator. His ability to switch between different cars is what makes me think he has a real chance of making the step to actual racing."