Red Bull Faces Critical Moments Amidst 2025 Season Struggles

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports presenter, Martin Brundle, has highlighted the need for ‘heavy conversations’ within Red Bull Racing. The Milton Keynes-based team has encountered a challenging start to the 2025 season, leaving many questioning their competitive edge.

Red Bull’s Tumultuous Beginning

After only two races, Red Bull opted for a driver change, replacing rookie Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda, who had spent four years with Racing Bulls. This move reportedly did not sit well with Max Verstappen, according to motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.

The issues with the RB21 persisted during the Bahrain Grand Prix, leading to a peak of frustration following the race. A meeting ensued between team chief Christian Horner, Verstappen’s management, Marko, and Pierre Wache. Marko expressed his concerns to Sky Germany post-race: ‘The concern is great.’ He further stated, ‘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 acknowledged the team’s performance as ‘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.’ He further explained, ‘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.’

Marko emphasized the urgency for performance improvement in the car and standardization of procedures such as pitstops. He stated, ‘The car is not the fastest and then the pitstops are not working. That is not acceptable.’

Brundle’s Analysis

Martin Brundle analyzed the ‘torrid’ weekend for Red Bull, claiming that conversations are needed. In his post-Bahrain column, he stated, ‘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.’

Brundle further noted, ‘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,’ Brundle concluded.