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Max Verstappen's father Jos Verstappen lost a €500 bet to Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko. As revealed by Marko, Jos Verstappen thought his son would be five-tenths slower than McLaren but during the qualifying session in Australia, the four-time world champion finished P3, just over three-tenths slower than pole sitter Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen did not have the best of starts to the 2025 F1 season. During practice sessions in Australia, he reported reliability and balance issues and his pace was much slower on Friday. However, on Saturday, he nailed the qualifying sessions. While McLaren was significantly quicker, the Dutchman finished P3 and exceeded his personal expectations.
Meanwhile, speaking to De Telegraaf after the qualifying session, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko disclosed a bet he won against Max's father, Jos Verstappen.
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"In comparison with the test days in Bahrain, we have taken a big step, because then the difference was at least half a second, I think. I have also already won 500 euros from Jos Verstappen, because he thought that we would indeed lose five tenths to McLaren. And for tomorrow I have already bet on a victory for Max at a betting office," Marko said.
During the pre-season test in Bahrain, Red Bull was slower than McLaren on day one. However, by day three, Max Verstappen had covered significant ground.
Meanwhile, for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Red Bull seems confident of Verstappen's victory, mainly because of the element of rain. The Dutchman's racing skills in wet conditions are second to none.
During the 2024 Brazil Grand Prix, he qualified P17 but ended up winning the race under wet conditions. Hence, Marko is banking on the X factor that Max brings amid challenging weather conditions.
A lot relies on Verstappen on Sunday, as his teammate, Liam Lawson, will start the race from P18 following a disastrous qualifying session.
Max Verstappen surprised with P3 finish in the qualifying session in Australia
The qualifying session of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix saw McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri dominate the proceedings, securing P1 and P2, respectively. Moreover, four-time world champion Max Verstappen clinched P3 after a few quick laps.
After the session, Verstappen told media that he was surprised to get a second-row finish, considering the struggles he had with RB21.
“Honestly, I’m quite surprised to be sitting here after yesterday. I felt confident; I felt at one with the car. Of course clearly we’re still lacking a bit of pace, but overall happy with the laps in qualifying," Verstappen said.
He added that he is not expecting any miraculous performance on Sunday as Red Bull has a lot of work to do.
“I don’t expect any kind of miracles about it. I think it’s okay, but it’s not on the same level [as the others]. I’ll just do my best, see what happens tomorrow," he added.
Max Verstappen will more or less carry the weight of Red Bull alone as his teammate, Liam Lawson, will start from P18.
