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Max Verstappen Silent After Bahrain GP Struggles as Red Bull Falters
Max Verstappen’s Bahrain Grand Prix weekend was one to forget, as the Red Bull driver refused to speak with his team following a frustrating race marked by poor pace, strategic missteps, and a car that failed to live up to expectations. The four-time world champion found himself battling far outside of the podium positions, a stark contrast to his commanding win just a week earlier at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Heading into Bahrain, Red Bull carried significant momentum. Verstappen had clinched victory in Japan with a flawless drive from pole position, fending off persistent threats from McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri throughout the race. That strong showing had cemented Red Bull as title contenders once again, but in Sakhir, the situation deteriorated quickly.
In qualifying, both Verstappen and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda struggled to extract performance from the RB21, lining up in seventh and tenth on the grid respectively. From the start of the race, it was clear that Red Bull lacked the speed and consistency needed to fight at the front. Instead of contending with rivals like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, the team found itself engaged in midfield battles with the likes of Alpine and Haas.
During the race, Verstappen’s frustrations grew as he was stuck behind Esteban Ocon, who had managed to gain track position with an early pit stop. The Dutchman then found himself unable to make progress past Pierre Gasly, who had started from fourth after a surprisingly strong qualifying performance. With limited grip, poor balance, and an overall lack of race pace, Verstappen could do little more than watch the leading pack disappear into the distance.
When the race ended, Verstappen crossed the finish line in sixth place—well below his expectations. The disappointing result sparked obvious tension between the driver and the team. In a post-race interview with Viaplay, Verstappen was asked if he intended to participate in a detailed debrief with Red Bull engineers to analyze the weekend. His blunt response: “At the moment, no. I don’t feel like it.”
His frustration was equally clear in a separate interview, where he elaborated on the team’s shortcomings. “Everything went wrong that could go wrong,” he said. “The pace was very bad. We have our problems, and even if you win a race, that doesn’t go away. So we just keep discussing and keep trying to improve.”
Red Bull team insiders have acknowledged that the RB21 was far from optimal in Bahrain. The car struggled with handling issues throughout the weekend, and tire degradation proved to be worse than anticipated. While Verstappen typically excels at maximizing difficult situations, this time the combination of poor strategy, a misbehaving car, and stronger competition from rival teams left him with little to work with.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda also endured a challenging race and was unable to make significant progress through the field. The team as a whole seemed off the pace compared to the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, who have continued to close the gap on Red Bull this season.
With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the horizon, Red Bull now faces pressure to identify and resolve the technical issues that plagued them in Bahrain. While Verstappen remains in the championship hunt, the weekend in Sakhir was a wake-up call. For a driver known for his fierce competitiveness and drive for perfection, Bahrain’s result was clearly unacceptable.
Whether Verstappen’s cold shoulder to the team was a one-off moment of frustration or a sign of deeper issues within Red Bull remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the team will need to regroup quickly if they hope to bounce back and return to winning form in the upcoming rounds of the season.
