Blunt Verstappen 'speaking for himself' and not his Red Bull team after Bahrain Grand Prix

Max Verstappen left the Bahrain Grand Prix frustrated. Not only was his Red Bull far from the fastest on the Bahrain International Circuit, but he also faced two pit-stop mishaps that cost him valuable time. While Verstappen is well aware of the seriousness of these issues and is eager to address them, he was asked if his team feel the same urgency.

Verstappen will not speak for the whole of Red Bull Racing

The Bahrain Grand Prix wasn’t the first time Verstappen has voiced concerns about issues within Red Bull Racing. The team is expected to introduce its first round of upgrades at Imola, but when asked whether he feels everyone within the team truly understands the gravity of the situation, he responded: “I'm just speaking for myself, not for other people," Verstappen explained to GPblog and others in the Bahrain International Circuit paddock.

Verstappen is eager to see the car’s problems resolved as quickly as possible. Red Bull Racing has also recently made some very well-known internal moves—just a few weeks ago, the team announced that Liam Lawson would be sent back to Racing Bulls, giving Yuki Tsunoda a renewed opportunity to prove himself. GPblog knows that Verstappen had previously insisted on keeping Lawson because the problem did not lie there within the team.

Verstappen: 'Other issues' in the Red Bull team

Tsunoda has now raced twice for Red Bull, and Helmut Marko has confirmed that the Japanese driver will remain in the seat for the rest of the season. Naturally, Verstappen was asked about the situation with his new teammate—and whether he feels he's receiving more support from the second Red Bull car. The four-time world champion didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts. “We have other issues. That is our biggest problem."

This weekend, racing will resume in Saudi Arabia for the third leg of the current triple header. Last year, Verstappen won the Grand Prix in Jeddah but will face fierce competition from several rivals, including championship leaders McLaren, in 2025.

This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut

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