A crunch meeting for Red Bull following a poor Bahrain Grand Prix

Red Bull’s senior F1 management held a ‘crisis meeting’ following a poor Bahrain Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen could only finish sixth in Bahrain, overtaking Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the final lap.

On the other side of the Red Bull garage, Yuki Tsunoda enjoyed a solid race to come away with his first points with the team in ninth.

It was ultimately a shocking weekend for Red Bull, given that Verstappen struggled to reel in Gasly and Haas’ Esteban Ocon at various stages of the race.

Their lack of pace was compounded by various pit stop issues, which cost Verstappen several seconds.

During the first pit stop, the light system that indicates when a driver can leave their pit box wasn’t working correctly, which also affected Tsunoda.

Another issue occurred during Verstappen’s second pit stop as the Red Bull crew struggled to remove his front-right tyre.

As reported by GP Blog, team principal Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, technical director Pierre Wache and chief engineer Paul Monaghan were seen gathered in the Red Bull hospitality area for a ‘crisis meeting’.

Red Bull display “very alarming” – Marko

While Verstappen remains in title contention – he trails Lando Norris by just eight points – Red Bull’s performance was “very alarming”, according to Marko.

It took Verstappen until the final lap to get back ahead of Gasly in the Alpine.

Red Bull’s strategy decisions were also questionable as Verstappen struggled on the hard tyre in the middle of the race.

Reflecting on a difficult weekend for Red Bull, Marko said, as quoted by Motorsport.com: “It’s a very difficult day for Red Bull; that’s obvious to all of us.

“We have to get, as soon as possible, performance in the car again and also standards like a pitstop have to work. The car is not the fastest and then the pit stops are not working. That is not acceptable.

“Very alarming. We know that we are not competitive, and there will be parts coming in the coming races, and hopefully they bring improvement.

“We have a lot of problems. The main problem is balance and grip. And out of this, so I guess the problems with the brakes came up. And then the normal procedure like a pitstop is not working, so one [issue] comes after the other.”

Max Verstappen may have opened the 2025 Formula 1 season with yet another dominant win in Bahrain — but behind the scenes, the cracks at Red Bull Racing are growing deeper by the day.

In a shocking move that has sent the paddock rumor mill into overdrive, Verstappen reportedly refused to attend a high-level crisis meeting held immediately after the Bahrain Grand Prix, citing “personal reasons.” The meeting, described by insiders as “tense and urgent,” was called by Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko, who is said to be gravely concerned about the team’s internal stability amid escalating tensions.

“It’s an alarming situation,” Marko allegedly told those present, according to leaked accounts from the meeting. “If we don’t act soon, it could spiral out of control.”

While Red Bull officially claims the meeting was about “strategic adjustments for the upcoming races,” sources within the garage suggest otherwise — hinting at deep-rooted dysfunction within the once-dominant team. From power struggles in management to whispers of favoritism, the team that once seemed bulletproof is now beginning to show its fractures.

And Verstappen’s absence didn’t help.

“He’s distancing himself more and more,” one paddock insider told The Racing Eye. “Skipping a crisis meeting like this? That’s not just a scheduling conflict. That’s a message.”

This isn’t the first sign of strain between Red Bull and its superstar driver. Over the past year, Verstappen has been increasingly vocal about his frustrations with the team’s internal politics — particularly after the Christian Horner controversy and the unresolved leadership dynamics that followed. Though the Dutchman has consistently brushed off speculation of a fallout, his recent actions tell a different story.

Verstappen was dropped by Haas’ Esteban Ocon and passed by Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, falling to ninth. He made some progress after ditching the hards for used mediums and finished in sixth place, with team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in ninth.

But having finished 34 seconds behind McLaren’s winner Oscar Piastri, with multiple poor pitstops to compound Red Bull’s misery, the team held an impromptu meeting with its key personnel at the track to figure out its next steps, with attendees including team boss Christian Horner, advisor Helmut Marko, technical director Pierre Wache and chief engineer Paul Monaghan.

“It’s a very difficult day for Red Bull, that’s obvious to all of us,” Marko told reporters including Motorsport.com after the talks.

“We have to get, as soon as possible, performance in the car again and also standards like a pitstop have to work. The car is not the fastest and then the pitstops are not working. That is not acceptable.”

Adding fuel to the fire is the growing belief that Verstappen may already be eyeing an exit strategy — possibly as early as 2026 — should the team environment continue to deteriorate. With other top-tier teams sniffing around and Verstappen’s stock higher than ever, Red Bull may soon find itself in the unthinkable position of having to fight to keep the very man who brought them four straight titles.

Meanwhile, Helmut Marko’s tone has reportedly shifted from concerned to downright alarmed. One source even described the meeting as “Marko’s warning shot” to team leadership, urging urgent reforms before the Verstappen-Red Bull relationship implodes entirely.

For now, Red Bull insists all is well. But between Verstappen’s strategic silence and Marko’s veiled warnings, one thing is certain — all is not quiet behind the energy drink empire’s garage doors.

And as the F1 circus moves on to Saudi Arabia, the spotlight on Red Bull is only getting hotter.