Red Bull are concerned that Max Verstappen could walk away amid their struggles with other Formula 1 teams likely to leap at the chance to sign the four-time world champion
The Monday after a Formula 1 race means plenty of fallout and reaction to the on track drama. And there was plenty of that at the Bahrain Grand Prix which saw a good amount of overtaking action and no small number of penalties handed out throughout the race.
That included one given to Lando Norris who didn’t put in the finest performance of his McLaren career. Compared to his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who looked supremely comfortable en route to victory, the Brit still clearly has work to do to get the hang of his new car.
He still sits at the top of the drivers’ championship, though, while McLaren extended their lead further in their constructors’ title defence. In contrast, Red Bull seem to be in turmoil following a crisis meeting and the moment Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen angrily confronted Helmut Marko after the Bahrain race.
Ferrari enjoyed their best points haul of the year so far but Charles Leclerc was still pretty downbeat. And team-mate Lewis Hamilton says he still has a way to go before he can start producing his best driving in a red car.
Elsewhere there was more FIA penalty drama, Norris’ response to his critics and a key update on the future of one under-pressure star who is at risk of losing his seat. Mirror Sport has all the latest headlines from the paddock:
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton says ‘he’s doing it the hard way’ as Ferrari struggles laid bareREAD MORE: F1 cult hero Guenther Steiner mocked mercilessly as cringeworthy footage emerges
Red Bull worried about Verstappen exit
It is no secret that Max Verstappen has clauses in his Red Bull contract that could be activated if Red Bull do not meet certain performance criteria. And paddock rumours suggest some of them could be in play later this season, should the Dutchman decide to seek out a fresh challenge.
Amid the team’s lack of competitiveness and the obvious frustration in Verstappen’s camp, team adviser Helmut Marko has admitted that “the concern is great” at Red Bull that they could lose their star man unless they can turn things around in the coming months.
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Norris snaps back at concerned ex-pros
A far-from-ideal weekend for Lando Norris in Bahrain saw him once again be very self-critical of his own performances in public. That is nothing new for the Brit but sparked concern among several former F1 drivers who questioned his mental toughness.
But the McLaren man snapped back by telling them: “When it doesn’t go my way, and when I mess up myself, then I’m very disappointed in myself. But during the interviews and saying things I do, I don’t think necessarily have a bad impact on myself negatively. I’ve done it so much my whole life, I’ve learned how to block my own comments away from my thoughts.”
FIA U-turns on Saudi GP grid penalty call
There was a curious moment during the Bahrain race when the stewards communicated that they felt Carlos Sainz had not properly served a time penalty before he was retired and decreed that he should serve a three-placed grid drop for the coming weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
But video footage has proven that Sainz did indeed serve the penalty before Williams decided there was too much damage on his car and told their driver to retire. So the FIA has now backtracked on that grid penalty and the Spaniard can approach qualifying in Jeddah without that extra pressure to perform.
Alpine ‘make decision’ on Doohan’s future
Poor Jack Doohan has been the subject of intense speculation throughout the entirety of his short F1 career so far. His Alpine team have not helped that situation by signing Franco Colapinto as a reserve to potentially take his place if needed.
But it seems that the Aussie will be given some more time. The Race reports that team bosses are satisfied with Doohan’s performances so far and the rapport he has struck up with team-mate Pierre Gasly, leading to the decision that he should retain his place until the summer break.
