Motor racing-Verstappen eyes perfect 10 at Albert Park amid Red Bull discord
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Formula One champion Max Verstappen will bid to win back-to-back Australian Grands Prix on Sunday and match his record of 10 successive race victories even as Red Bull struggle to move on from off-track controversy.

Another chequered flag at Albert Park would see the Dutchman equal last year's run of 10 wins from Miami to the Italian Grand Prix and leave rivals dwindling further in the rearview mirror.

Verstappen led a Red Bull 1-2 with Sergio Perez at both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, though the early season triumphs have been tempered by team discord and allegations against boss Christian Horner.

Horner was cleared of alleged misconduct toward a Red Bull employee but the unidentified woman lodged an appeal after her complaint was dismissed, British media reported last week, ensuring the controversy will rumble on in Melbourne.

Red Bull GmbH, the Formula One champions' Austria-based parent company, has not commented on the reports but said before the season that the accuser had a right of appeal.

While the saga has had no perceivable impact on Verstappen's performance, the driver's father, Jos Verstappen, said after the Bahrain Grand Prix that the team risked being torn apart if Horner stayed in charge.

Those comments triggered fears Verstappen may look elsewhere from 2025 but the triple world champion, contracted to 2028, said things would have to "go really crazy" for that to happen.

Verstappen is already 15 points clear of team mate Perez and 23 ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, raising the prospect that both the drivers' and constructors' championships may end up a repeat of last year's procession.

With Red Bull's RB20 performing at a different level to rival cars, the intrigue so far has focused on which team will emerge "best of the rest".

Leclerc finished more than 18 seconds adrift of Verstappen at Jeddah and Ferrari will be eager to close the gap at Albert Park where the Red Bull driver won a chaotic race laden with crashes and three red flags last year.

Ferrari were cheered in Saudi Arabia by the performance of British reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who finished seventh as a late replacement for Carlos Sainz, though the Spaniard is expected back in the race seat this week after appendicitis surgery.

Mercedes, touted as a potential destination for Verstappen in 2025 to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton, have yet to perform at a level that would impress the Dutch champion.

Hamilton finished ninth in Jeddah and lamented three years' of stagnation for the team's car, saying big changes were needed.

Team boss Toto Wolff said the W15 car had not delivered on expectations but insisted it has potential.

"The chasing pack is so close, which means you don’t have to be out by much to lose three or four places on the grid," he said in a preview ahead of Albert Park.

"It also means you don’t have to find much to move up three or four positions. Maximising the potential of the car each weekend is key. Australia gives us another chance to show what we can do."

Daniel Ricciardo may also feel pressure to perform as he gears up for his return to his home circuit for the first time since 2022, this time with the rebadged RB outfit.

Ricciardo was 16th at Jeddah, one place behind team mate Yuki Tsunoda, prompting Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko to warn him to raise his game.

Young compatriot Oscar Piastri is well placed to steal Ricciardo's thunder in front of home fans, though, after finishing fourth for McLaren in Saudi Arabia.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -     Formula One champion Max Verstappen will bid to win back-to-back Australian Grands Prix on Sunday and match his record of 10 successive race victories even as Red Bull struggle to move on from off-track controversy.