Max Verstappen has suggested that the RB21 F1 car is not in a position to help secure a race win in the season opener in Australia.

Lawson has taken a huge leap into the unknown, without having grit his teeth in the F1 mid-pack with Racing Bulls. A jump from a reserve driver at a lesser team to the number two role at F1's most successful team this decade could leave him feeling like a fish out of water.

Formula One season has all the makings of a white-knuckle 24-race celebration to mark 75 years since the inaugural seven-race championship back in 1950. With the traditional three-week summer break in August the F1 circus pitches up in the desert of Abu Dhabi for its final show on December 7.

Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull Racing until 2028 and yet the likes of Aston Martin and Mercedes continue to sniff around the Dutchman

Former world champion and departed Sky Sports pundit Damon Hill has said Red Bull are incapable of taking criticism and "cry about it" when pundits speak out against them.

While the initial performance may not be at the level Red Bull had hoped for, Verstappen remains optimistic about fine-tuning the car for Melbourne.

Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has been spotted alongside an unlikely new car in a social media post. The Dutch driver will be gearing up for the first race of the season which will take place in Melbourne next weekend.