Max Verstappen is motivated to win a fifth consecutive drivers' title in Formula One and is "confident" Red Bull have made the right changes to help him do so.

Verstappen won seven of the first 10 Grands Prix last season, with his dominance across the first five races, in particular, putting him clear of the pack.

McLaren caught up in performance, with Lando Norris proving the Dutchman's closest challenger in 2024, but he managed to defend his lead to hold out for a fourth consecutive title.

If Verstappen does win again in 2025, he will be only the second driver in F1 history to win five titles in a row, after Michael Schumacher.

Red Bull released their new RB21 car on Tuesday, and Verstappen believes it will help him challenge at the top once again.

"The development direction we chose at the time showed a lot of promise, but unfortunately it didn't work like that on track, so we had to change a few things," Verstappen said.

"Now let's hope that is the right direction. We are confident it is the right direction, but let's see how much we can extract out of it for this final season with this car.

"My motivation is there. Last year was not straightforward, but we still won the championship.

"I am very excited to look ahead and, hopefully, we can improve our car, and that is a motivation in itself."

Introducing... the RB21 pic.twitter.com/CZr4v0odue

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 25, 2025

Verstappen has a new team-mate in Liam Lawson this season, after Sergio Perez left the team in December.

And there is more change elsewhere as it is the first time since 2005 that Red Bull will go into a season without lead designer Adrian Newey, who is joining Aston Martin.

"I don't think we should think about that too much," Verstappen said of Newey's exit. "It is done.

"He is not there anymore. That's how it is. It's how it's been last year, and I trust also the people who are there at the moment. We have to do it all together.

"It is a team effort, but I have a lot of respect for what Adrian has done for the team, have a great relationship with Adrian, and I am excited for him to start a new project."

F1's track action begins in Bahrain later this week, with three days of testing from February 26-28. The first Grand Prix of the season takes place in Australia on March 16.