Expect F1 world champ Max Verstappen to be as aggressive as ever in 2025
By Simon Head
He may have won four world championships in a row, but Max Verstappen will be as focused and aggressive as ever.
That's the view of former F1 driver Timo Glock, who chatted to Casino.org ahead of the opening race of the 2025 Formula 1 season in Melbourne, Australia.
Based on how the 2024 season finished and the changes that have taken place over the off-season, it's looking like Verstappen will find himself under more pressure in 2025, but Glock said that his aggressive approach to on-track battles will be no different.
"I don't think Max is ever likely to change his driving style," said Glock.
"He will go to the absolute maximum and race as hard as possible, just leaving enough space for the other guy to survive, but not much more!"
Many fans are expecting Verstappen to find himself battling on track with Lewis Hamilton again, with the seven-time world champion's move to Ferrari expected to push the Briton back towards the front of the pack in 2025.
Glock said that he'd love to see Verstappen and Lewis resume their rivalry, and said that the Dutchman will be every bit as competitive if the pair do find themselves wheel to wheel once again, though he did say that Verstappen won't have the same equipment advantage he's enjoyed over previous seasons.
"I hope we see great battles between Max and Lewis this season," he said.
"Max will do everything he can to stay in front of a competitor, it doesn't matter who it is.
"If he needs to defend, he won't be in as many positions this year where he can just pull away.
“He's going to have to defend hard, and look to manage gaps behind him a little more than the last couple of years."
The season opener in Melbourne promises to deliver spectacular race to kick off the 2025 campaign, with the teams finally getting to see just how competitive they, and their rivals, are as they race at full throttle for the first time since last season.
"Melbourne is always tough to judge, as you don't know where teams are with their testing," said Glock.
"As a track, it's very green. Most of the time, if you see a team surpassing expectations, more often than not it's going to be in Australia."
But, based on what he's seen from the teams so far, Glock said that last season's Constructors' World Champions McLaren look to be in a strong position as the season gets underway Down Under.
"Maybe a car is in the right window in terms of testing and track conditions; on the flip side, I do think McLaren will be the team to beat," he said.
"They know what the car needs, and what they need to do. I expect them to be on top.
"In terms of a surprise, it could well be Alpine. They struggled at the start last season, but developed strongly throughout the season.
"I think the midfield pack is very close together. I just hope we have a proper fight of the top four teams in Melbourne.
"For the fans and, as a sport, it would be a great start to the year to see the big teams competitive against each other, much like we expect the full season to go."
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