Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko has expressed “great concern” that three-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen could depart the team at the end of the current season if performance issues aren’t resolved quickly.

The alarm bells are ringing after a disappointing sixth-place finish for Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he crossed the line more than 30 seconds behind race winner Oscar Piastri despite a safety car period with just 24 laps remaining.

“Improvements have to come in the near future so that he has a car with which he can win again,” Marko told Sky Germany. “We have to create a basis with a car so that he can fight for the world championship.”

Verstappen’s struggles in Bahrain were comprehensive, with the Dutch driver battling tire degradation, balance issues, and braking problems throughout the race. His difficulties were compounded by two slow pit stops – one caused by a signaling issue and another by a delayed tire change.

“The pace was very bad, but of course I didn’t expect the race that I had, because basically everything went wrong that could go wrong,” Verstappen explained after the race. “That probably made it a little bit worse. But I think the position where I finished is, at the end of the day, the maximum that we could have done.”

The reigning world champion pointed to fundamental issues with the car’s performance in Bahrain, particularly noting problems with tire management that were exacerbated by the track’s characteristics.

“I just feel like we are even worse on tires somehow this year. It makes it just very complicated,” Verstappen said. “Because last year we were not too bad around here. Of course then people made improvements, but I feel like we actually had a worse weekend than last year. So it’s a bit weird.”

While braking improvements were made after regulations allowed Red Bull to change materials, Verstappen indicated this was only a partial solution, as tire overheating continues to plague his performance.

The stark contrast between Verstappen’s recent victory in Japan and his Bahrain struggles highlights the inconsistent performance of the current Red Bull package – a concerning development for a team that has dominated Formula 1 in recent seasons.

With Marko’s rare public acknowledgment of fears regarding Verstappen’s future, the pressure is now squarely on Red Bull to deliver technical solutions that will keep their star driver satisfied and competitive as the season progresses.

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images