Max Verstappen shakes head at double malfunction as Ralf Schumacher claims he’ll ‘definitely’ leave Red Bull

Max Verstappen had a weekend from hell for Red Bull and Ralf Schumacher expects there may not be many more. A winner in Japan last time out, the four-time champion saw his car well off the pace in Bahrain as he scrapped for sixth with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri winning the Grand Prix comfortably. Verstappen hasn’t finished lower on track than sixth since October 2022Getty Sky SportsTwo slip-ups ruined his race, including his pit light not going green[/caption] F1Verstappen shook his head at the error and muttered ‘f*** man’ over team radio[/caption] Verstappen was only able to qualify seventh for the race with Red Bull the fifth fastest car in Sakhir, perhaps showing that Japan was likely an anomaly. On top of that, there were two huge errors from his team, with a pit light malfunctioning on to delay his first pitstop, and a wheel not going on for his second. Verstappen ranted over team radio and after the second slip up could clearly be seen shaking his head as he exited his pit box. Failures from the team would have made Red Bull’s pace an even bigger concern for Verstappen, and Schumacher doesn’t see him putting up with it much longer. “I’m pretty sure that if the upgrade on the car doesn’t take effect by Imola and the new engine – I’m just talking about rumours – doesn’t run quite as well, Max Verstappen will definitely leave the team,” the six-time race winner said during the broadcast. The race in Imola is on May 18 as Formula 1 returns to Europe for the summer, a period when driver moves are often made. With both Aston Martin and Mercedes linked with a move for the Dutchman, Schumacher also expects them to try and pounce. “You can see the difference he makes,” Schumacher added. “You absolutely have to get this driver and everyone wants to have him.” Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has regularly talked up the possibility of signing Verstappen, while Aston now have Adrian Newey among their ranks – the greatest car designer in F1 history who masterminded all of Red Bull’s titles. “A bigger adventure awaits Verstappen at Aston Martin,” Schumacher added. “Together with Adrian Newey, whom he knows very well. Newey is an engineering genius and has joined Aston ahead of new regulations he can exploit in 2026Getty “He also knows Honda, which he knows very well, and also a [new] factory that has a future.” Schumacher was the first to break Red Bull’s firings of Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson over the past two seasons, although they were with the Racing Bulls junior squad. Elsewhere in the Grand Prix George Russell came home in second behind a completely dominant Piastri who won by 15.499 seconds despite a safety car interruption bunching up the pack. Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris finished third despite a five second time penalty while Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were next in fourth and fifth. Hamilton overtook his old rival Verstappen to claim that spot, and the Dutchman then said on team radio: “I can’t even brake anymore, it’s just ridiculous.” PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts181Oscar PiastriMcLaren 571:35:39.43525263George RussellMercedes57+15.499s1834Lando NorrisMcLaren 57+16.273s15416Charles LeclercFerrari57+19.679s12544Lewis HamiltonFerrari57+27.993s1061Max VerstappenRed Bull 57+34.395s8710Pierre GaslyAlpine 57+36.002s6831Esteban OconHaas 57+44.244s4922Yuki TsunodaRed Bull57+45.061s21087Oliver BearmanHaas 57+47.594s11112Kimi AntonelliMercedes57+48.016s01223Alexander AlbonWilliams 57+48.839s01327Nico HulkenbergSauber 57+53.472s0146Isack HadjarRacing Bulls 57+56.314s0157Jack DoohanAlpine 57+57.806s01614Fernando AlonsoAston Martin57+60.340s01730Liam LawsonRacing Bulls 57+64.435s01818Lance StrollAston Martin57+65.489s0195Gabriel BortoletoSauber57+66.872s0NC55Carlos SainzWilliams45DNF0

Related Posts

Comments

Name

Email

Comment

Post Comment