Red Bull's Formula 1 Slump: What's Going Wrong?

Red Bull's F1 team is in crisis mode after struggling on the track. With Max Verstappen's future uncertain, can the team turn things around?

Red Bull is under pressure heading into the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, seeking to turn around their struggling season. After a disappointing performance in Bahrain, the team is eager to regain momentum and avoid a mediocre campaign. The upcoming race in Jeddah will be a crucial test for the Austrian giants.

Red Bull's Struggles Continue

Max Verstappen's disappointing performance in Bahrain saw him drop to third in the drivers' standings, eight points behind McLaren's Lando Norris. The team's struggles are evident in the constructors' championship, where they trail McLaren by 80 points after just four races, with Verstappen accounting for most of their points.

Red Bull's Crisis Meeting

Red Bull held crisis talks after their disappointing Bahrain performance, with top officials gathering to discuss the team's struggles. The meeting included team principal Christian Horner, advisor Helmut Marko, technical director Pierre Wache, and chief engineer Paul Monaghan.

Horner acknowledged the team's issues, saying, “This race has exposed some pitfalls that are obviously very clear that we need to get on top of very quickly. Ultimately, you can mask it a little through setup and we were able to achieve that last weekend in Suzuka. We understand where the issues are, it's introducing the solutions that obviously takes a little more time.”

Max Verstappen described his Bahrain Grand Prix experience as “basically everything went wrong.” He acknowledged the challenges with the car's performance and tyre behavior, stating, “It's of course not what we want, but it's just where we are at with our car and the tyre behaviour that we have with the car.”

Verstappen noted that the issues were amplified on the Bahrain track, saying, “Everything is just highlighted even more on a track like this.”

Red Bull's struggles would be even more pronounced without Max Verstappen's exceptional driving skills. He's managed to extract impressive performances from a problematic car, as seen in his win in Japan, which was largely thanks to a remarkable qualifying performance.

Without a strong teammate, Verstappen is left to carry the team on his own. Yuki Tsunoda has scored some points, but Red Bull lacks an effective “wingman” to help Verstappen in races, putting extra pressure on the Dutch driver to deliver results.

🚨 | Red Bull are at a CRITICAL phase of their season.

Upgrades for the RB21 are essential.

Max Verstappen's exit clause could come into play if they can't find laptime... pic.twitter.com/U5fBGsgENX

— formularacers (@formularacers_) April 13, 2025

Red Bull's struggles coincide with the departure of key talent, including legendary designer Adrian Newey, who left for Aston Martin. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley also departed to become Sauber team principal, while head of race strategy Will Courtenay joined McLaren, following former chief designer Rob Marshall, who made a similar move in 2023.

Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull is uncertain, despite having a contract until 2028. Helmut Marko expressed concerns that unless the team improves, Verstappen might leave. Marko warned, “The concern is great. Improvements have to come in the near future so that he has a car with which he can win again.”

Marko emphasized the need for a competitive car, stating, “We have to create a basis with a car so that he can fight for the world championship.” This raises questions about Verstappen's long-term commitment to the team.