BREAKING NEWS: Martin Brundle Points to Red Bull’s ERROR After Verstappen Penalty A…read more

Brundle Blames Red Bull Misstep for Verstappen’s Missed Victory in Saudi Arabian GP

Strategic error and sluggish start combine to derail Red Bull’s hopes as Piastri claims the lead in Championship

Max Verstappen’s hopes of clinching victory at the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix slipped away due to what Martin Brundle described as a critical misjudgment by the Red Bull team.

Starting from pole position, Verstappen found himself under pressure from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri right from the first lap. As the pair approached Turn 1, Verstappen ran wide while defending against Piastri but retained the lead. The FIA later deemed the move illegal, ruling that Verstappen gained an unfair advantage by not yielding the position. He was handed a five-second time penalty, a setback that would ultimately cost him the race.

Former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle believes the incident could have been handled far better by Red Bull. “If Max had managed the first two corners cleanly and legally while keeping the lead, he would have had a strong chance of winning,” Brundle explained. “But Oscar had the inside line, he had control of that corner. According to the current and upcoming rules, that corner was his.”

Brundle was particularly critical of Verstappen’s decision to stay ahead instead of conceding the position  and of Red Bull’s failure to instruct him otherwise. “Max didn’t make a serious attempt to go around the outside. He lost the corner. The smarter move would’ve been to slot in behind Oscar and fight back on track. It was clear that a penalty was inevitable. By not giving the place back immediately, Red Bull cost themselves the win.”

Sky Sports colleague and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick also pointed to a separate error that compounded Verstappen’s problems: a lackluster launch off the line. “If I were Max, I’d be most upset about the start,” Chadwick said. “He was on pole but Oscar beat him off the line by at least a car length and a half. A lot of that came down to reaction time. That poor start forced Max into a compromised position right from the beginning.”

Despite the penalty and the second-place finish, Verstappen’s performance showed that Red Bull still has the pace to challenge McLaren. As Formula 1 heads to Miami in two weeks, Verstappen will be eager to rebound and halt Piastri’s rising momentum. The Australian driver now sits atop the championship standings for the first time in his career, thanks to back-to-back victories.

While Red Bull will no doubt analyze their strategy and decision-making, the team remains confident that with sharper execution, they can reassert themselves in the title fight  starting with a strong showing in Miami.