Red Bull took a risk at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, but McLaren remained out of reach for Max Verstappen
Aggressive start, then management mode: Max Verstappen could not do better than second place at his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort. Still relatively close to the front in qualifying, Red Bull opted for an aggressive tactic in the race, starting on soft tires. In front of his home crowd, the world champion wanted to attack immediately—and it almost worked.
“The plan was to overtake on the outside of turn three. The momentum was there, but then came the spin,” said Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. Verstappen slid spectacularly sideways in turn two, but managed to catch the car. “I had to try it with the soft tires. Unfortunately, there was too much sand on the track. I went a little sideways, but I was able to hold it,“ Verstappen said later.
After a few laps, however, the downside of the bold plan became apparent: the soft tires lost performance faster than hoped. McLaren was simply in a different league in race trim. ”When they wanted to, they were a second faster. We had to react earlier than planned,” Marko explains. This meant that the original goal of finishing the race with only one stop was no longer feasible.
McLaren takes the conservative route
McLaren took a completely different approach: the team from Woking opted for the hard tires, which only McLaren and Aston Martin still had in duplicate. “Many went for soft because they didn’t have any hard left. For us, it was clear that the hard had enough grip on this track to be consistent. We weren’t nervous; it was the better choice for us.”
In fact, the strategy proved to be spot on. While Verstappen struggled on soft and later medium tires, McLaren was able to pull away at the front with a steady pace. However, Verstappen admits that he never had any hope of keeping the McLarens at bay: “Once I was in front, I immediately realized that it was pointless. If I defended for three laps, I would only ruin my race. You could see that they were in a different league.”
“Super aggressive” – Red Bull defends risky plan
Despite the obvious disadvantage, Red Bull defends its chosen tactics. Team boss Laurent Mekies explains: “It was the only chance to fight McLaren, even if only temporarily. Max wasn’t happy with the hard tires at all, and medium-hard wouldn’t have moved him up. So the only option was the super-aggressive choice of soft and medium. We knew it would hurt later. But at least we could try something.“
The risky start attempt also caused heart palpitations at the pit wall. ”You work with him every day, but even we are still surprised by what he sometimes gets out of it. That first lap – it takes your breath away for a moment,” says Mekies. Verstappen himself commented dryly: “It was the only opportunity. If you’ve got soft tires on, you have to try. Otherwise, you won’t have a chance later.”
Podium still a step forward
Helmut Marko sees finishing second as a fortunate but important result: “Third place would actually have been deserved. But after the problems in Hungary, where we struggled to get into the points, it’s a clear improvement. We now understand some of the causes better. They haven’t been solved yet, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
Verstappen himself sees it similarly. “Qualifying was good, but we lacked pace in the race. It was more of a battle at the back than at the front. But standing on the podium in front of the Oranje Army – that’s always special.” For the fans in Zandvoort, who filled the dunes in a sea of orange, it was still a spine-tingling moment despite the missed victory.
Looking ahead: chances on fast tracks
The big question: When will Red Bull be able to win a race again on its own? Marko believes there are individual opportunities: “Singapore is definitely out of the question. But Azerbaijan, Austin, Jeddah—the faster the track, the better for us. We have to get our problems under control step by step, then I hope for a victory.”
However, McLaren currently seems uncatchable. Nevertheless, Stella sees no reason for complacency: “It was a good weekend, but we know how quickly things can change. We will continue to work on all the details.” Verstappen remains realistic – but also combative: “McLaren is simply stronger at the moment. But we’re not giving up. There are still opportunities this year, and we will try everything.”