Max Verstappen and new Red Bull teammate spotted playing paddle at Bahrain

Max Verstappen posted an image via his Instagram on Tuesday, in which he was joined by new Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda for a paddle session in Bahrain. The pair are in the Middle-Eastern country ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for this weekend.

Max Verstappen was partnered at Red Bull by Yuki Tsunoda, when the Japanese driver replaced Liam Lawson at the Austrian team, after just two races of the 2025 season. Tsunoda made his debut for his new team at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday but failed to score points, finishing P12 after a poor qualifying run on Saturday hindered his chances.

The 24-year-old will be hoping to make a better impression in the upcoming round, which is the Bahrain GP. The Red Bull drivers have already made their way to their next destination, and Verstappen even posted an image of the pair playing paddle together in Bahrain.

The reigning champion posted a photograph of him and Tsunoda playing the sport, along with two more of their friends on Tuesday.

"🎾 Bahrain sessions," he captioned the post.

Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the 2025 season on Sunday, with his immaculate drive during the Japanese Grand Prix. The Dutch driver started on pole position, which he had earned in spectacular fashion on Saturday, beating out the quicker McLaren cars.

The 4x world champion converted his pole position to victory, as he managed to stay ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the entirety of a race that lacked any real overtaking opportunities.

Verstappen will be hoping to continue his winning ways this weekend in Bahrain, but that could prove to be a difficult task, as the McLarens are expected to be quick yet again, especially in warmer conditions. The Papaya team are likely to be favorites for the event, as they have been for all races up until now this season.

---

Max Verstappen shared his three-word reaction to Japanese GP win on Instagram

Max Verstappen raising his P1 trophy after the Japanese Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen shared that the Japanese Grand Prix weekend was 'special' in his view, as he claimed his 64th career win at Suzuka. The Dutchman became the fourth driver to win a race this season in as many races (including a sprint).

Verstappen shared glimpses from his victory in Japan, along with a simple three-word caption via his Instagram on Tuesday:

"A special weekend 🎌"

With his win on Sunday, Verstappen closed the gap to Lando Norris in the Drivers' standings down to just one point. He also made history with this victory as he became the first driver ever to win the Japanese GP four times in a row.

The records did not stop there though, as Verstappen also joined an elite list of drivers to have won at least one race in 10 consecutive F1 seasons. This list only consists of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost, and now Max Verstappen.