Max Verstappen fought back when few believed he could with an unlikely Japanese Grand Prix victory for Red Bull.
The 25 points helped him close the gap to Lando Norris at the top of the drivers’ championship to just one point after three races.
Verstappen is chasing a fifth consecutive title triumph and faces his most difficult challenge yet in a Red Bull car which does not have any advantage over its competitors.
Red Bull have refused a ‘sacrifice’ for Verstappen and have told him that they will not sacrifice their braking strength to give him a more balanced car.
McLaren haven’t fixed a 2024 problem which could hand their Milton Keynes-based rivals an advantage. They need to decide who to prioritise during pitstops.
With the 2026 F1 regulations around the corner, who knows whether this will be both teams’ last chance to compete for a title for a long time? They need to take advantage of their pace now.
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Marc Priestley predicts ‘ominous’ Lando Norris advantage over Max Verstappen in Bahrain
Although there have been three different winners to start the Formula 1 season, it’s fairly clear that McLaren have an advantage over their rivals.
Marc Priestley expects them to be even stronger in the hot conditions of the Bahrain Grand Prix. It could give Norris an ‘ominous’ benefit.
“As I said I think the high temperatures are probably going to suit the McLaren more, which is ominous I guess in many regards because they’ve already been quick at every racetrack so far,” he said.
“If we come to the conclusion we think this one might suit McLaren, well you know this could be a difficult for others to try and compete but only time will tell.”
After Bahrain, four races will have been held at very different circuits in very different conditions. If McLaren turn out to be strong at them all, then their rivals have a lot of developing to do to catch up.
Red Bull are banking on two ‘game-changing’ moves to swing the pendulum in their favour. An upgrade and rule change could bring them further into the mix over the coming weeks.
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Why Red Bull will be closer to McLaren than expected at the Bahrain Grand Prix
Christian Horner thinks McLaren have created a ‘problem’ by having two drivers fighting for the title in 2025. It could hold them up during races.
There’s no guarantee that they will manage to hold each other up at the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, but past results suggest that Red Bull could be more of a factor than they have been so far this year.
Verstappen won by 22 seconds last year and was 48 seconds ahead of the closest McLaren. That sort of form can’t be ignored.
Red Bull have one major concern after failing to correlate their setups with the simulator in Japan, but Bahiran offers an opportunity for them to flex their muscles at a circuit which they are usually strong at.
All they have to do is rely on their imperious driver to come good, and they should be somewhere near the sharp end of the field on Sunday.
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