Red Bull’s F1 dominance is fading fast as Verstappen warns the team must act now, or risk losing him mid-season.
Red Bull Racing is once again facing serious internal concerns after a tough weekend in Bahrain. The team’s struggles with the RB21 are deepening, and worse yet, according to Max Verstappen, they still haven’t clearly identified the root cause.
Following the race, team leaders—including Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, technical director Pierre Waché, and chief engineer Paul Monaghan—held a spontaneous meeting in the Sakhir paddock to address the situation.
“It was a very tough day for Red Bull—there’s no hiding from that,” admitted Marko. “We need to get the car’s performance back as soon as possible, and even the basics like pit stops need to be sharp. Right now, we’re not the fastest car, and we’re making operational mistakes. That’s just unacceptable.”
Marko didn’t mince his words: the current state of the team is “alarming.” New parts are expected in upcoming races, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be enough.
“We have a lot of issues,” he said. “The biggest problem is the car’s balance and grip. That’s probably even causing some of the braking issues. On top of that, routine procedures like pit stops are breaking down. One thing leads to another.”
With Red Bull clearly off the pace, Marko warned that if the team doesn’t react fast, their shot at the championship could vanish—echoing Verstappen’s concerns before the race.
“Max is right—we need to improve, not just in terms of points, but in raw performance. If we keep going like this, we can forget about the title.”
Verstappen’s Exit Clause Looms
Adding fuel to the fire, Helmut Marko confirmed that Verstappen’s contract includes an exit clause that could be triggered as soon as this summer if the team doesn’t step up.
Asked how serious the risk of losing Max is, Marko replied bluntly: “It’s a real possibility. The clause could come into play.”
In other words, a third-place finish in the standings won’t be enough to convince Verstappen to stay if the car isn’t winning regularly.
“We need to give Max a car he can actually win with,” Marko stressed. “Not just under special circumstances like a wet race in Brazil or Japan where he pulled off something spectacular. We need a solid foundation.”
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Red Bull Sounds the Alarm Again After Bahrain Setback Red Bull Sounds the Alarm Again After Bahrain Setback
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