Verstappen proves his point in Bahrain after initially everyone disbelieved him

22:34, 12 Apr

byTim Kraaij

A year ago, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing dominated the race weekend in Bahrain. The Dutchman kickstarted his season with a victory, in which he would clinch his fourth world title. However, a year later, the cards are shuffled very differently.

"Yes, we tried everything with the car and nothing works. So it's not the car," Verstappen began to Dutch media, including GPblog, after qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Verstappen speaks casually to the press. There was simply no more he could have achieved in this qualification. "I wouldn't know what to adjust on the car if I could do the qualification again. We have done everything that is logical on this circuit."

Verstappen had predicted a poor performance

However, the result did not come as a surprise to Verstappen. "When you look at the gap with McLaren, I wasn't surprised, as I had already said that to the team after the winter test. I said half a second back then. That has now been proven as well. So in that aspect, I was right."

Red Bull Racing still have to make a lot of progress, "but that's nothing new," according to Verstappen. Since pre-season testing, the Dutchman constantly pointed out the big lead of McLaren and the fact that Red Bull has work to do.

However, the contrast with a year ago is significant. While Verstappen dominated qualifying and the race in Bahrain, now a year later, he could only achieve a seventh place.

GPblog also asked the driver how it is possible that things have changed so drastically in a year? ‘That's because the others have it figured out better. Others have improved more than we have, that's clear.’

Is Verstappen waiting for updates from Red Bull Racing?

Addressing these problems is not straightforward. According to Verstappen, it's not just a single problem, there are more. The team are struggling with balance issues, but there is also a lack of grip.

Red Bull will come with updates, but at the moment, Verstappen is not interested in promises. "I don't want to hear about how many are coming or how much of a difference it should make. I just want it to come, and we will see how much it delivers."

A gap of five tenths is indeed a big difference to overcome, but according to the Dutchman, it's really necessary: "It's a lot, but we really have balance problems. It's two things - putting more grip on the car and achieving a better balance."

Anyone thinking that Verstappen is losing sleep over Red Bull Racing's current underperformance would be mistaken. According to Verstappen himself, results are not bothering him. ‘Life goes on. I'm trying to make the best of it. I could start shouting and screaming, but that wouldn't help either."

He concluded the matter in style, saying: "I'm not frustrated. Zen."

This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi