Reigning Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen faced a challenging qualifying session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, finishing a disappointing seventh on the grid after battling an “inconsistent” Red Bull RB21. The Dutch driver admitted post-session that the car’s performance had been a struggle throughout the weekend, highlighting issues with brakes and overall grip that hampered his pace.
Verstappen, who trails championship leader Lando Norris by just one point, was candid about the difficulties he encountered. “It was tough – tough all weekend, I think,” he told reporters. “For whatever reason, I’ve been struggling with the brakes, the feeling also, feeling retardation, so it’s something that we need to investigate. And then general grip, I guess, throughout the lap, [it was] quite inconsistent.”
The qualifying session saw Verstappen abort his first run in Q1 due to a major lock-up, forcing him to use an extra set of soft tires to progress. “There’s something really wrong with the car,” he radioed to his team after running wide at the final corner, a moment that underscored the RB21’s balance issues on Bahrain’s abrasive, low-grip track surface. Despite making it to Q3, Verstappen’s best lap of 1:30.423 was 0.582 seconds off pole-sitter Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, a gap he attributed to persistent setup woes.
Red Bull’s struggles were not limited to Verstappen. New teammate Yuki Tsunoda, in his second race for the team, managed to reach Q3 for the first time since his promotion, but could only secure 10th place. Tsunoda described the weekend as a “massive rollercoaster,” noting the narrow operating window of the RB21 that both drivers were struggling to master.
Team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the challenges, stating, “Max struggled with balance and was fighting through most of quali. But the positive is both cars made it into Q3. It feels like some time since we’ve been able to say that.” However, Horner admitted there was “still a lot to understand” ahead of the race.
Verstappen’s frustrations were compounded by McLaren’s dominance, with Piastri securing pole and Norris, despite a disappointing sixth, still outpacing the Red Bull. Verstappen was blunt about his championship prospects, telling Dutch media, “McLaren are not my rivals right now. I am just taking part in this world championship.” When pressed on whether he saw himself competing for the title, he replied, “No, I don’t.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Verstappen remained pessimistic about closing the gap to the McLarens. “In the past, high-deg tracks have been good to us, but with the balance we had today, I think it will be very difficult,” he said. “I hope I can stay a bit with the Mercedes and Ferraris. Naturally, I think the McLarens will pull away.”