“It can change”: Sebastian Vettel hopeful of Red Bull’s performance turnaround

Four-time former F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has confidently backed Red Bull to turn things around in the 2025 season despite a shaky start. He cited the example of the 2024 season, where McLaren beat Red Bull in the constructors' championship after a second-half surge.

Red Bull, once a dominant team to win 22 of the 23 races in the 2023 season, has fallen off the cliff this year. McLaren, under the leadership of CEO Zak Brown, has established itself as the team to beat, winning three of the four races so far. While Max Verstappen breathed a sigh of relief by winning the Japanese GP, he witnessed a complete fallout in Bahrain, finishing P6 in a troublesome race.

While Red Bull appears to be headed towards disaster, the team's former driver and four-time world champion, Vettel, isn't ready to give up on the Bulls just yet. He stated that dynamics change quickly in F1. In 2024, despite starting the season on a high, Red Bull lost the constructors' title to McLaren after the latter saw a performance surge in the second half.

“Obviously Red Bull isn’t very strong now, but if you just go back one year, Red Bull started off very strong and wasn’t that strong at the end and still won (the Drivers’ title). So I think, you know, of course it can change. It’s not that easy to fix, but generally I think they know what they are doing," Sebastian Vettel told Reuters.

While a second-half surge can keep the Milton Keynes-based team in championship contention, the journey is easier said than done. The RB21 reportedly has problems with design, aerodynamics, and overall pace. Hence, a comeback is proportional to the team's ability to resolve the issues quickly through upgrades.

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Sebastian Vettel praises Max Verstappen's rival

Lando Norris [L] with Max Verstappen [R] at F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Source: Getty

Former four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has praised Max Verstappen's championship rival, Lando Norris, for his self-critical attitude. He believes Norris being vocal about his weakness reflects on his progress as a professional driver.

Talking to Reuters, Vettel said:

“I think it’s a positive development because we are normal people. Heroism is fine, but it’s also part of heroism to just talk about your problems and your weaknesses. I don’t think it’s a sign of weakness. It might be criticized by some people, but if you look at the broader picture, I think it’s just progress.”

Norris lost the driver's championship to Verstappen last season after he fell short of 63 points. This year, however, McLaren has the fastest car, and the Brit opened the season with a victory in Australia. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, has also established himself as a real championship contender, with the race to glory expected to be tighter as the season progresses.