Martin Brundle expects “heavy conversations” at Red Bull after poor Bahrain performance

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports presenter Martin Brundle claims “heavy conversations” are needed at Red Bull.

The Milton Keynes outfit has struggled through the start of the 2025 season. After just two races, Red Bull opted to swap out rookie Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda, who had spent four years with Racing Bulls – a move which Max Verstappen was not happy about, according to motorsport advisor Helmut Marko. 

The troubles with the RB21 continued during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Frustrations seemed to reach a peak following the race, with a meeting taking place with team chief Christian Horner, Verstappen’s management, Marko, and Pierre Wache. Marko commented to Sky Germany after the race:

“The concern is great.

“As I said, improvements must come in the near future so that he has a car he can win with again. We have to create a foundation with a car so that he can fight for the world championship.”

Marko also explained that the performance of the team is “very alarming.” He added:

“We know that we are not competitive, and there will be parts coming in the coming races, and hopefully they bring improvement.

“We have a lot of problems. The main problem is balance and grip, and out of this, I guess the problems with the brakes came up. Then the normal procedure like a pitstop is not working, so one [problem] comes after the other.

“We have to get, as soon as possible, performance in the car again and also standards like a pitstop have to work. The car is not the fastest and then the pitstops are not working. That is not acceptable.”

Brundle analysed the “torrid” weekend for the Christian Horner-led team, claiming that conversations are needed. He explained in a post-Bahrain column:

“Even Verstappen’s talents couldn’t save Red Bull from a torrid weekend. The car looked a handful to drive and he was often seen struggling to slow down and turn in from the key braking zones in all track sessions.

“After following Pierre Gasly’s Alpine for endless laps, in the closing stages he was able to sneak past on the last circuit and claim a distant sixth place, not helped by some lumpy pit stops with equipment issues.

“Yuki Tsunoda would score his first couple of Red Bull points in ninth but considering the team won the Japanese GP just seven days before, it’s all rather confusing – probably for them too. There’ll be some heavy conversations going on.”