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Max Verstappen believes that the disappointing performance in Bahrain did not have a mental impact on him. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda after the race, the four-time world champion maintained that the setbacks on track didn’t affect his mindset or approach.
While a poor result often shakes a driver’s confidence, Verstappen stressed that he didn’t feel the need for a mental reset after Bahrain. Instead, he reckoned that he preferred to stay in a neutral headspace and focus on consistently working towards improvement and success, regardless of short-term outcomes.
Acknowledging the frustration from the Bahrain weekend, Verstappen said both he and the team are aware of the issues with the RB21. However, he underlined the importance of adopting a solution-driven mindset over dwelling on the negatives to bounce back from their current setbacks.
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Verstappen, when questioned by Sportskeeda about how he resets mentally from a disappointing weekend in Bahrain, stated:
“I don't need to reset, I mean I'm okay. I mean it's what it is I mean I always try to do the best I can even in disappointing or let's say frustrating situations but you have to move on. We keep discussing, keep trying to improve. We know that we have our problems. Even if you win a race, that doesn't go away. I said that already last week, so it doesn't... I'm anyway not a guy that I think- when you have positive or negative scenarios that you get influenced by that a lot. I just stay neutral, so you just have to keep on working.”
Max Verstappen believes the disconnected balance in the RB21 is the reason for most of their tire management issues
Max Verstappen pinpointed the disconnected balance on the RB21 as a key factor behind Red Bull’s tire management struggles and overall drop in pace. While he acknowledged that increasing downforce helped to some extent, he was clear that it wasn’t a definitive solution. Verstappen hinted there could be deeper, unidentified reasons behind the poor tire handling, issues that the team might not have knowledge about yet.
His tone suggested a level of uncertainty within the team, especially in terms of finding a short-term fix. Verstappen described Red Bull’s efforts as a 'hit and miss' in terms of resolving their car’s performance inconsistencies. He referenced the Japan weekend as an example, where they struggled on Friday but turned things around to win on Sunday. However, in contrast, he felt that in Bahrain, the car was simply not competitive, with no clear path forward.
Asked if downforce was a solution to their tire woes as seen with McLaren, Max Verstappen said:
“No, I mean, for sure, downforce helps, but like I said, our balance is disconnected, plus we are just worse on tires and there must be other reasons to that as well, what we are probably not doing right.”
When asked to quantify the progress Red Bull had made in fixing the problems since the start of the season, he replied:
“It’s been a hit or miss. I mean, Friday Suzuka was bad, qualifying then it was a bit better the race of course was a bit better. But still not where I want it to be but at least then you are competitive. Here [in Bahrain] then it was off again.”
Max Verstappen has slipped to third in the Drivers’ Championship with 69 points, following a difficult weekend in Bahrain. Lando Norris currently leads the standings with 77 points, closely followed by his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri on 74. The Dutchman had closed the gap to Norris to just one point after his victory in Japan, but a sixth-place finish in Bahrain has now left him trailing by eight.
In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren are dominating with 151 points, while Mercedes sit second on 93; Red Bull are third with 71. The 80-point deficit to the leaders is particularly concerning for the Milton Keynes squad, especially with only four rounds completed in the season. The sharp contrast in form highlights the urgent need for Red Bull to find a solution to their performance struggles.
