Max Verstappen and Red Bull were one of the trickiest teams to read during F1 testing. But there were signs of frustration from the world champion on the final day.
Red Bull started 2024 with a dominant car and then regressed to being fourth quickest on their worst days. By the end of the season, they had shown signs of recovery, with Verstappen winning in Sao Paulo and Qatar.
The firm consensus after testing is that McLaren have the best car. Lando Norris’ long-run pace has startled his rivals.
But there are varying accounts of the pecking order after that. Helmut Marko says McLaren could be three-tenths clear, but isn’t sure where Ferrari and Mercedes stand.
Verstappen is trying to match Michael Schumacher’s record of five consecutive world championships this season. The consequences of failure could be huge for Red Bull.
Former Toro Rosso Jaime Alguersuari is certain Verstappen will leave. Having signed Adrian Newey – the man who’s designed all of the Dutchman’s title-winning cars to date – Aston Martin look like the favourites for his signature.
Max Verstappen ‘drew back lines’ for 200 metres after Red Bull spin
Verstappen could be seen shaking his head after one lap on day three in Bahrain. Onboard footage showed the car was refusing to comply both mid-corner and on the exit.
There was also the exceedingly rare sight of Verstappen spinning, with the 27-year-old going round at the first corner. Former F1 engineer Ernest Knoors, speaking on the Paddockpraat podcast, noticed him deliberately drawing ‘black lines’ afterwards.
Verstappen deliberately wrote off his Pirelli rubber because he was ‘frustrated’ with his car’s handling. Knoors fears that the team still don’t fully understand their issues.
The RB21 is very much an evolution of its predecessor, with no significant changes to the regulations over the winter. Analysts have noted a lack of obvious innovation, but crucially, they haven’t seen the floor of the car or its internal components.
“You also saw on the last day that Max spun, and that he then drew black lines on the asphalt for almost 200 metres,” Knoors said. “You do that because you are a bit frustrated, I think.
“So that is not quite right. Look, Red Bull is a team that can catch up, but on the other hand they also had a hard time solving this last year. And if they still don’t have that completely clear, I have my doubts about that.”
Why Martin Brundle still believes Max Verstappen is 2025 F1 title favourite
Some paddock insiders were unimpressed with the new Red Bull after watching it trackside in Bahrain. Of course, Red Bull probably learned more about their car on the trickier laps.
One of the main objectives in testing is to find a setup sweet spot. That means it’s almost inevitable that the car will appear difficult to drive at times as the teams experiment.
While Liam Lawson immediately reported oversteer, Verstappen sounded more content with the car at the start of the test. Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull may revert to an earlier spec.
Martin Brundle still believes Verstappen is the favourite for 2025 amid all the hype around Norris and McLaren. While he looked ‘angry’ at Sakhir, he remains unbeaten in this era of Formula 1.
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