Max Verstappen given 'learn to control anger' advice by former F1 racer to adapt to the new reality at Red Bull

Former F1 racer Juan Pablo Montoya has advised Max Verstappen that he needs to control his anger as he starts to accept the new reality of Red Bull, where the car is not as dominant. The Dutch driver will be aiming to win his 5th consecutive world title in 2025.

There has, however, been a drastic change in how competitive Red Bull was at the beginning of the ground effect era and how it is right now. Since 2022, when the new regulations kicked in, the Austrian team was one of the very few who understood the car. As a result, Max Verstappen dominated the sport in 2022 and 2023.

The 2024 F1 season saw Red Bull's advantage dissipate, and teams like McLaren and Ferrari catch up. As a result, Max Verstappen had to truly dig deep and be very efficient in how he managed his races and the title fight. In the end, after a few flare-ups from the driver, he did manage to win the title.

Talking about Max Verstappen's chances of winning this season, Montoya said that if the car is strong enough, the driver wins the title. But the Dutchman would need to keep his temper in check if the car was not up to expectations (as quoted by RacingNews365):

"If Red Bull can give Max a good car, he can continue to deliver good results during the season," Montoya said. "Verstappen is so used to having the advantage that he now has to learn to control his anger and drive the races in an inferior car." (Translated from Dutch).

Despite Max winning the title, it looks likely that the 2025 F1 season could see Red Bull on the back foot with teams like McLaren and Ferrari having a quicker car toward the end of the 2024 season.

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Juan Pablo Montoya picks Max Verstappen's 2024 title rival to clinch the title in 2025

When questioned who he would pick to win the title, Juan Pablo Montoya picked Lando Norris as the driver who he would expect to win, especially with McLaren building a strong enough car. Talking about how the British had shown improvement in key areas as the 2024 season progressed, Montoya felt that Norris would have the edge over the four-time title winner.

"If I had to bet on the winner of 2025, I would bet on Lando Norris. He matured a lot at the end of last season and McLaren now has the advantage over the other teams."

Talking about how the McLaren teammates' chemistry would be crucial for Norris' success, Montoya added:

"Norris has the best chance if McLaren can make the best car again, but he can't take it easy this year. If Norris takes it easy and Oscar Piastri does better, then Norris could be ruined. Piastri in turn will have to do better in qualifying than Norris to boost his confidence."

If Max Verstappen does end up winning his 5th consecutive world title, he would be just the second driver after Michael Schumacher to achieve such a feat in F1, who did so from 2000-2004.