Max Verstappen’s manager seen unloading on Helmut Marko after the driver’s disastrous F1 Bahrain GP: Reports
Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen was reportedly seen voicing his frustration to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko after the Dutchman’s disastrous Bahrain Grand Prix outing, according to Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz. The 27-year-old had qualified in P7 and finished the race in P6, losing ground to both McLaren drivers in the Drivers’ championship.
The Bahrain GP proved to be one of Max Verstappen’s most challenging Formula One race weekends thus far because the championship victor encountered severe car problems throughout the entire weekend starting from Friday to Sunday. The early part of the Bahrain Grand Prix proved difficult for Verstappen because he struggled to extract speed from his vehicle while he reached P20 at some time during the competition although he underwent two lengthy pit stops.
Ted Kravitz from Sky Sports pit lane observed Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen delivering a serious discussion to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko post-car race at Sakhir. During the race weekend the Verstappen team showed their dissatisfaction with the car provided to their driver.
Loyal or not Verstappen has indicated to multiple reports that he would quit Red Bull if they fail to provide him with an appropriate racing car from their Milton Keynes facility. A discussion regarding his departure seems unlikely in the near future yet becomes possible based on how long their slump persists.
It was a weekend to forget for both Verstappen and Red Bull, as the whole outfit looked completely out of contention for even a podium throughout. Verstappen has also lost his spot in the Drivers’ standings, slipping to third behind Oscar Piastri.
Lando Norris has extended his lead at the top of the table, even amid an underwhelming weekend for the Brit. His closest rival is now his teammate, who sits only three points behind the 25-year-old.
Max Verstappen reflects on terrible Bahrain GP outing
Max Verstappen claimed that simply ‘everything went wrong’ at the Bahrain GP for him, as he attempted to make the most out of a difficult situation during the race on Sunday. The Dutchman came home in P6, his worst result of the 2025 season so far.
Speaking to the media after the end of the race, Verstappen expressed his feelings about what transpired over the 57 laps. He said [via Formula1.com]:
“Basically everything went wrong. We had a poor start, too much wheelspin when I dropped the clutch, and then the first stint again [I had] basically the same problems that I had in Qualifying, plus we were just overheating our tyres too much compared to the competition ahead of us.”
The driver described his difficulty in controlling the tires while driving two streaks after race officials performed poor pit stops. Based on the pace of his car Verstappen declared P6 as the most satisfactory position for the championship while admitting it provided a solid outcome for his race despite potential improvements.
