Red Bull chiefs held crisis meeting after 'unacceptable' Bahrain GP

Red Bull Racing’s top leadership held an urgent crisis meeting Sunday evening following the team’s dismal performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen limped to sixth place and teammate Yuki Tsunoda secured a modest ninth.

The bulls’ lackluster showing, marred by pit stop blunders and a lack of pace, has raised alarm bells within the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with advisor Helmut Marko calling the situation “very alarming.”

The event at Sakhir proved a harsh reality check for Red Bull. Verstappen struggled to overtake Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, only passing him on the final lap to claim sixth. Earlier, he was stuck behind Haas’ Esteban Ocon, underscoring the RB21’s surprising lack of speed.

Tsunoda’s ninth-place finish marked the Japanese driver’s first points with Red Bull, but it did little to offset the team’s broader struggles.

Pit stop errors compounded the misery. A faulty light system during the first round of stops delayed both drivers, while Verstappen’s second stop was disrupted by difficulties removing his front-right tire, costing him critical seconds.

Strategic decisions also faltered, with Verstappen visibly struggling on the hard tyre compound mid-race during his second stint.

Marko Sounds the Alarm

In the wake of the underwhelming display, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Marko, technical director Pierre Wache, and chief engineer Paul Monaghan immediately convened in the Red Bull hospitality suite to dissect the weekend’s failures.

According to Marko, the situation has reached a critical point.

“We have to get, as soon as possible, performance in the car again and also standards like a pitstop have to work. The car is not the fastest and then the pit stops are not working. That is not acceptable,” said the Austrian quoted by Motorsport.com.

“Very alarming. We know that we are not competitive, and there will be parts coming in the coming races, and hopefully they bring improvement.

“We have a lot of problems. The main problem is balance and grip. And out of this, so I guess the problems with the brakes came up. And then the normal procedure like a pitstop is not working, so one [issue] comes after the other.”

Despite the setback, Verstappen remains in championship contention, trailing McLaren’s Lando Norris by just eight points. However, Red Bull’s inability to capitalize on their driver’s title fight has put the team under intense scrutiny.

Tensions Boil Over with Verstappen’s Management

The fallout from the race reportedly extended beyond the track. Sky F1 pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz witnessed a heated exchange in the Red Bull garage, shedding light on the team’s frayed nerves.

“I’ve got to tell you a little story,” Kravitz said on his post-race notebook. “After the race, I was waiting around here for some team principals and Raymond Vermeulen, Max’s manager, came into the Red Bull garage and gave Helmut Marko what can only be described as a right piece of his mind and was remonstrating with Helmut Marko.”

Kravitz continued, “Helmut Marko was just standing there taking it, and then Raymond stormed off at the back of the garage, taking his pass off as he went. Clearly they are not happy.”

In Jeddah next weekend, all eyes will be on whether Horner and his team can silence the doubters – or if their crisis will deepen.

Read also: Verstappen laments Bahrain GP where 'everything went wrong'

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