Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ‘Brother’ Confident in F1 Comeback Season

Max Verstappen is facing one of the toughest seasons of his Formula 1 career, but support within the Red Bull camp remains strong. After a challenging Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen now trails by 49 points in the drivers’ standings.

During that race, a late penalty pushed him down to tenth at the finish, leaving him behind both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris from McLaren. Despite the setback, with 15 races and four sprints still set to take place, Verstappen still has 407 points available and plenty of opportunity to close the gap.

Peter Bayer, Racing Bulls’ CEO, spoke about Verstappen’s setback in Spain, where a 10-second penalty for a collision with George Russell impacted his final result. Bayer pointed out that while Verstappen was on a competitive strategy mid-race, things changed after the incident. More details on the Verstappen-Russell incident highlight the complexity of this race moment.

He noted that Verstappen is never out of contention and continues to wish for an easier path for the Red Bull star. Even though the current season has proven challenging, Bayer’s confidence in Verstappen’s skills and determination remains strong.

Verstappen’s quest for a fifth consecutive championship has become harder without a reliable teammate. Red Bull started the year pairing him with Liam Lawson, but after two races and no points, Yuki Tsunoda was brought in.

Tsunoda has only scored seven points from seven races, struggling to adapt to the car after previous experience at Racing Bulls. This lack of a supporting driver has allowed McLaren, with Norris and Piastri regularly finishing at the front, to build up a sizable lead and control the fight at the top of the standings.

Before the Spanish Grand Prix, Bayer spoke with Tsunoda, who started from the pitlane and finished 13th after a difficult qualifying. Tsunoda remains confident in his speed but admits that understanding the RB21’s problems is tough.

The team continues to look for answers as they try to improve their performance in the coming rounds.

The standings reflect the current challenges for Red Bull. McLaren leads with 362 points, followed by Ferrari at 165 and Mercedes at 159. For more on Ferrari’s season, see the Ferrari Lewis Hamilton verdict.

Red Bull is currently fourth, sitting at 144 points. On the drivers’ side, Piastri leads with 186, Norris is second with 176, and Verstappen has 137.

George Russell and Charles Leclerc round out the top five. Upcoming rounds present more chances for Verstappen and Red Bull to recover ground.

The next five races include stops in Canada, Austria, Britain, Belgium, and Hungary, with the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next on the calendar. Each event offers valuable points, and any slip-ups from rivals could quickly change the picture in both championships.

F1’s packed schedule and the battle between the front-runners keeps the focus on strategy and consistency. With so many races remaining, Verstappen’s rivals know he cannot be discounted, especially as he’s found ways to win under pressure before. Recently, Verstappen has also shut down clash questions regarding incidents that might have affected his performance.

The efforts of Red Bull’s extended team, including support from Racing Bulls, are a crucial element as they fight to reclaim ground in both drivers’ and teams’ standings. As the season continues, all eyes remain on Verstappen to see if he can turn his fortunes around and mount a significant comeback against McLaren’s charge.

With points still on the table and momentum always shifting in Formula 1, the championship fight is far from over.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.