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Red Bull Panics After Bahrain GP as Verstappen Struggles and Rivals Close In
Red Bull Racing, the dominant force in recent Formula 1 seasons, has been rattled following a surprisingly underwhelming performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite expectations of another runaway campaign, reigning world champion Max Verstappen struggled to find his rhythm, sparking concerns within the team about the RB20’s reliability and competitiveness.
While Verstappen managed to finish the race, his struggles with tire degradation, inconsistent pace, and communication issues with the pit wall left fans and analysts stunned. For a team that’s used to leading from the front, anything less than dominance raises alarms. Verstappen’s post-race comments, unusually curt, hinted at deeper technical issues: “We’re not where we should be. There’s work to do.”
Adding to Red Bull’s anxiety, rivals like Ferrari and Mercedes showed significant gains. Charles Leclerc’s strong pace and George Russell’s impressive consistency suggest that the gap at the top is shrinking. McLaren, too, appears to have made solid strides, with Lando Norris pressuring the front-runners during key stints of the race.
Internally, sources suggest growing tension as Red Bull engineers scramble to assess whether Bahrain’s issues were track-specific or signs of broader design flaws in the RB20. Aero balance and setup sensitivity are reportedly top concerns.
Team principal Christian Horner downplayed panic but acknowledged, “We didn’t deliver the performance we’re capable of. It’s a wake-up call.”
With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix just around the corner, Red Bull faces mounting pressure to respond swiftly. A dominant return could silence critics, but another misstep might confirm that their iron grip on Formula 1 is loosening—and the 2025 title fight could be far more open than anyone expected.