Red Bull Faces Major Uncertainty as Spanish GP S...read more

Red Bull Faces Major Uncertainty as Spanish GP Signals Turning Point

Red Bull Racing is under intense scrutiny following a troubling performance at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix a race that has sparked serious questions about the team’s ability to stay in championship contention.

The new FIA regulations clamping down on flexi-wings had little to no effect on McLaren’s form, as the British team cruised to a dominant 1-2 finish, with Oscar Piastri leading teammate Lando Norris.

In stark contrast, Red Bull’s race unraveled. Max Verstappen was handed a time penalty after a heated on-track clash with Mercedes’ George Russell, dropping him to 10th place by the chequered flag. The incident capped off a frustrating weekend that left Verstappen questioning whether he still has the tools to compete with McLaren’s rising dominance.

“Maybe that was the moment he gave up on his chances,” said Spanish journalist Jesús Balseiro on the F1 Nation podcast. “I spoke to Fernando Alonso — someone familiar with fighting in a less competitive car — and he said this might be a relief for Max, not having to struggle with inferior equipment against these McLarens.”

Balseiro also pointed to poor strategy calls by Red Bull as a contributing factor: “Losing P5 when it could’ve been P3 — I don’t understand it. The hard tyre call and the need to give back a position… Red Bull didn’t manage it well.”

F1 analyst Julianne Cerasoli added her own stark warning: “This may be the race we look back on as the moment it all began to fall apart for Red Bull.”

She noted that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya — known for fast corners where Red Bull usually excels — exposed a worrying pace deficit. “They held their own in fast corners in Saudi, Japan, and Imola. But here? Not even close,” she said. “I was shocked by the qualifying gap — three tenths. And the race gap was even worse.”

“Everyone expected Red Bull to be close to McLaren at this track. If they couldn’t match them here, then where can they?”

Verstappen later apologized for the clash with Russell, and team principal Christian Horner confirmed he expressed regret during the team debrief.

But with McLaren now setting the pace and Red Bull faltering at a key point in the season, the question lingers: is this the start of a real decline, or just a bump in the road?