Christian Horner doubles down on Helmut Marko concern about one worrying Red Bull problem

A lot can change in a week in Formula 1 and Red Bull proved that with their struggles at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Just a week earlier, Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix. He produced a sensational lap to take pole position and fended off pressure from the McLarens to claim victory.

It put the Dutchman just a point behind Lando Norris heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix. However, Verstappen would not mount a challenge to his title rivals at the Sakhir International Circuit.

The defending four-time champion could only manage P7 in qualifying, while teammate Yuki Tsunoda got the second RB21 into Q3 for the first time this season. In the Grand Prix, both Red Bull drivers made little progress as they finished sixth and ninth respectively.

Several issues plagued the Milton Keynes-based outfit, notably the pit stops when their traffic light system appeared to be faulty. Helmut Marko was very upset with the problem as it cost both their drivers valuable seconds.

Things were not much better on track as the RB21’s balance problems prevented Verstappen from making progress during the race. Team principal Christian Horner admits Red Bull must find solutions quickly as he doubles down on Marko’s concern.

Christian Horner doubles down on Helmut Marko’s concerns about Red Bull’s ‘shortcomings’ in simulations

Verstappen’s win at Suzuka was even more impressive when one factors in that he had a completely different setup to the one the simulator advised.

Marko told Verstappen to ignore the simulator and rely on his experience to guide him through the race. While the 27-year-old did win, it highlighted a serious problem as the team are going ‘backwards’ on track when the simulator ‘promises’ good performance.

After Bahran, Horner confirmed this problem with the wind tunnel. Speaking with De Telegraaf, the Red Bull boss says that the ‘possible solutions’ to the team’s issues ‘do not correlate’ to what actually occurs on track.

“The possible solutions that we see in our tools do not correlate with what happens on the track,” Horner said,

“We see that we have shortcomings in terms of our wind tunnel. We will use that for another 18 months, until our new one goes live in 2027.

But even with this tunnel, we have had a lot of successes. We have a very strong technical team that has designed great cars in recent years. I am one hundred per cent confident that we can turn it around.”

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Red Bull’s concerning problems in Bahrain have sparked more rumours about Max Verstappen’s future

Red Bull held an ‘intensive meeting’ after the race in Bahrain as Verstappen consistently complained over his radio. The Dutchman has been overtaken by Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ standings but is just eight points off of Norris at the top.

However, it is clear the Milton Keynes outfit have serious work to do if they want to challenge the McLarens across the season. Their issues have prompted further discussion about Verstappen’s future with the team.

Verstappen is predicted to seek a Red Bull exit in the next ‘three or four races’ if his car’s balance issues persist. The Dutchman has been linked with a move away from the team since last year, with Mercedes and Aston Martin very keen on signing him.

Verstappen’s manager had a heated argument with Marko after the race at Sakhir, adding more fuel to the fire about his potential departure. Red Bull have to find solutions as soon as possible as their star driver is more likely than ever to be considering his future.