A disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix heaped more misery on Red Bull after their poor start to the season. After only four races, the Austrian team is 80 points behind the leaders, McLaren. Despite moments of brilliance by four-time world champion Max Verstappen, the Dutchman finds himself third in the championship.
Verstappen is only eight points behind championship leader Lando Norris, but McLaren has a large pace advantage over Red Bull. The Milton Keynes-based team is currently the fourth quickest, and bosses at Red Bull are concerned Max Verstappen could walk away if they don’t improve.
Red Bull needs to improve the car for Max Verstappen to stay
The driver’s championship is currently tight, with the top four drivers separated by just 14 points. George Russell is only six points behind Verstappen, which could be huge. The Mercedes is faster than the Red Bull, meaning that Russell has a high chance of overtaking the Dutchman. If George gets ahead of Verstappen, this could trigger an exit clause.
Reports claim Verstappen could trigger an exit clause if he is lower than third in the Drivers’ Championship after a significant part of this season. This will worry Red Bull and push them to make the car faster. Helmut Marko has admitted this is a worry for the team’s top bosses.
Max Verstappen Admits Red Bull RB21 Is “Too Slow” to Challenge McLaren
Speaking to Sky Germany after the Bahrain Grand Prix, Marko said: “The concern is great. Improvements have to come in the near future so that he has a car with which he can win again. We have to create a basis with a car so that he can fight for the World Championship.”
Despite flaws in the RB21 and the lack of pace, Verstappen has still managed to keep himself in contention for the title. He won in Japan with a car much slower than McLaren and stepped on the podium in Australia, a race he nearly won. The Dutchman can extract pace from the RB21, and if he is in touching distance when the upgrades arrive, he could soon be the driver to beat once more.
Why did Red Bull struggle in Bahrain?
The RB21’s problems have been noticed since the curtain-raiser in Australia. The car struggles with balance issues and a lack of rear grip, leading to persistent understeer. The drivers have to fight the car to stay on track through the corners, meaning they have to apply the throttle later than others.
Red Bull also suffers from high tyre degradation. They were able to keep this under control in China and Japan due to the tarmac being resurfaced. However, in Bahrain, the asphalt has never been relaid. This made the track abrasive on tyres and led to high tyre wear for Red Bull. This cost Red Bull grip, losing them lap time.
Helmut Marko Hints at Big Red Bull Upgrade After Poor Pace at Australian GP
The weather conditions in Bahrain also cost the Austrian team, especially in qualifying. Max Verstappen made many mistakes in the final corner and at turn 11. This is due to the car being sensitive. With the balance issues as well, the RB21 was difficult to drive and too slow. They will hope their upgrades coming in the next few races can push them up the field.
