Max Verstappen comes off a disappointing Bahrain GP with questions surrounding his place at Red Bull and the performance of the RB21. The four-time world champion failed to crack the top five in any session at the Bahrain GP and is hoping for a much better outing at the Saudi Arabian GP this weekend.
Verstappen’s struggle for pace in Bahrain and coming to terms with the car
Verstappen finished P6 in the Bahrain GP after struggling with his brakes, pit stop miscommunications, and an overall lack of pace. The Red Bull stayed behind the Alpine of Pierre Gasly until the very last lap, a team that had yet to score points until the Bahrain GP.
When speaking to the print media, Verstappen identified some specific points where the car was lacking and spoke about how he’s approaching the Saudi Arabian GP.
“We struggled a bit with the balance. Entry to mid-corner balance is not where I want it to be. So we’ll try to fix that and improve that.”
“Naturally, Bahrain wasn’t a great weekend for us. I think we were all pretty disappointed with that. We just keep on trying to improve the car, come up with new ideas to try on the car. The competition is tough. That’s how I go about my weeks – just trying to improve the situation.”
When asked if the Red Bull team has its focus set on this year’s car or next year’s car development, Verstappen stated that they are balancing both.
“I think we’ve experienced enough to focus on this year and next year. But naturally, we’re still trying things with the car. Not even bringing parts to the car, just setup-wise and other things that we can improve. It’s constantly trying to improve the car. That’s what we’ll try to do again this weekend.”
Verstappen is hoping for a better weekend at the Saudi Arabian GP
The Red Bull team have been very successful at the Saudi Arabian GP in the past, winning the past three years. Their 2025 car is looking to suit the circuit once again, Max Verstappen claims.
“I mean, a few more high-speed corners, different tarmac. I hope that we can be a bit more competitive and maybe a bit more in the middle between the two races potentially.”
When asked about the softer compound tyres that Pirelli is bringing to Jeddah compared to last year, the Dutchman discussed how this will affect the pit stop strategy.
“I mean, in general, here it’s always been a bit like a one-stop race. And I think there’s always a bit more going on when you try and have maybe a two-stop or whatever. But let’s see first how the tyres are going to hold up. It’s going to be quite warm as well to drive.”
Addressing rumours surrounding his future at Red Bull
Verstappen has been racing with the Red Bull Racing team since 2016, and has won four drivers’ world championships since 2021 in Red Bull colours. The RB21 has been far from the dominant car Max Verstappen has experienced through the past five years.
This lack of pace has raised suspicions around a possible move to the likes of Aston Martin or Mercedes. Verstappen refused to entertain questions surrounding these rumours.
“No. I think just focus on commentating, I’ll focus on driving. Then you don’t need to think about any other scenarios.”
Max Verstappen wants to focus on the present, aiming to improve the 2025 car as much as possible. In terms of what the future holds, the four-time world champion is at ease with his position at the moment.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, honestly, a lot of people are talking about it, except me. Like I said before, I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team. That’s the only thing that I’m thinking about in Formula 1 at the moment. I’m very relaxed.”
