Red Bull have revealed “shortcomings” from their wind tunnel have contributed to their car issues and hope future upgrades boost Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda’s confidence.
Although Verstappen only trails championship leader Lando Norris by eight points, the Red Bull has been some way off pace-setters McLaren and it required a stunning performance from Verstappen to win the third race of the season in Suzuka.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says he has “great concern” over Verstappen’s future, as the Dutchman has performance clauses in his contract that would allow him to leave before his current deal expires at the end of 2028.
Verstappen finished sixth in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix but was 34 seconds behind race-winner Oscar Piastri, even with a Safety Car in the final 25 laps.
“I think the problems are understood. The problem is that the solutions with what we see within our tools compared to what we’re seeing on track at the moment aren’t correlating,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
“That’s what we need to get to the bottom of. Why can we not see within our tools what we’re seeing on the circuit? When you end up with a disconnect like that, you have to obviously unpick it.”
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Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda were left frustrated after losing valuable seconds in the pit lane in Bahrain
Horner also admitted Red Bull’s wind tunnel “is not replicating” what they are seeing on track which has created a “mishmash” between their simulation tools and track data.
Red Bull have a new wind tunnel coming in 2027 but are stuck with the current machinery for at least two years.
“Then you end up with a mishmash between what your tools are telling you and what the track data is,” he added.
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Lewis Hamilton eased past Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix
“I think you’ve got to understand where its weakness is. The problem that we have is that we’re at the end of a set of regulations where the gains are very, very marginal.
“We’re seeing some of the shortcomings in our current tunnel that struggles in that area.”
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Verstappen felt sixth was a good result after a poor day for Red Bull where ‘everything went wrong’ at the Bahrain GP
Red Bull trying to ‘calm the car down’
Red Bull’s relative struggles began 12 months ago when the team dominated the opening events of the 2024 season before only winning two races in the second half of the season.
Sergio Perez found it increasingly difficult to get to grips with the car and lost his seat by the end of the year. Liam Lawson stepped up for 2025, but only lasted two races after finding himself fighting near the back of the field.
Tsunoda qualified and finished just three races behind Verstappen in Bahrain, but he pointed out following his first day in the RB21 in Japan that the car felt “a bit different” to what he experienced in the simulator.
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When painting a traditional daruma, Tsunoda wished for land and to open a restaurant – but what did Verstappen wish for?
A fundamental problem Red Bull have is poor tyre management compared to McLaren, Mercedes and, sometimes, Ferrari. This is compounded by the car not turning into the corner as much as Verstappen wants, which suits his driving style.
All this means Verstappen and Tsunoda cannot push the car towards its limit, and, if they do, the tyres wear out and they lose speed.
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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on all the big talking points from the Bahrain Grand Prix
“I think it’s clear we understand what the problem is. It’s implementing the solution,” said Horner.
“So it’s the entry phase to the mid-corner that he [Verstappen] is addressing and giving him the ability and grip and confidence that takes to carry speed into the entry of the corners. Now that’s fundamentally an aero issue that we need to be able to give him that grip.
“We need to just unpick it and you get a big balance shift. How these cars are working with the back or front wings and so on. It’s unpicking all of that and basically calming the car down.”
Sky Sports F1’s Saudi Arabian GP Schedule
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit
Thursday April 17
- 4pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
Friday April 18
- 10.50am: F2 Practice
- 12pm: F1 Academy Practice
- 2pm: Saudi Arabian GP Practice One (session starts at 2.30pm)
- 3.55pm: F2 Qualifying
- 4.40pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
- 5.45pm: Saudi Arabian GP Practice Two (session starts at 6pm)
- 7.25pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
- 8.10pm: The F1 Show
Saturday April 19
- 1.15pm: F1 Academy Race 1
- 2.05pm: Saudi Arabian GP Practice Three (session starts at 2.30pm)*
- 4.10pm: F2 Sprint
- 5.10pm: Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying build-up
- 6pm: SAUDI ARABIAN GP QUALIFYING
Sunday April 20
- 1pm: F1 Academy Race 2
- 2.20pm: F2 Feature Race
- 4.30pm: Saudi Arabian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
- 6pm: THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX*
- 8pm: Saudi Arabian GP reaction: Chequered flag
*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 completes its first triple-header of 2025 in Jeddah with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
