F1 insider reveals further details on Verstappen camp's frustration with Red Bull

Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen was seen in discussion with Red Bull management, including Helmut Marko, after the troublesome Bahrain Grand Prix.

Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz has revealed more information about the discussions between Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.

Red Bull has struggled with car performance in the first four races of the 2025 Formula 1 season. However, the RB21 wasn't the only thing the Milton Keynes outfit had to deal with in Bahrain. They faced multiple delayed pit stops due to a wiring loom issue on the pit gantry, too.

Marko commented to Motorsport.com and other media after the race:

"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 pitstops are not working. That is not acceptable."

When asked by Motorsport.com how concerning the Bahrain issues were, he added:

"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, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Speculation about Verstappen's future with the team has increased following the Bahrain Grand Prix and the reportedly heated discussions between Red Bull management and Vermeulen. Commenting on the situation during the Sky Sports F1 Show (below), presenter Simon Lazenby said to Kravitz:

“We heard about a disagreement between Raymond Vermeulen - who's Max Verstappen's manager - and Dr. Helmut Marko after the race.”

Kravitz responded:

“Well, I don’t know exactly what it was about, but I saw something. I’ve seen plenty of occasions where Raymond, Jos [Verstappen], Christian Horner, and Helmut Marko have been deep in discussion.

"But this time, it felt different — Raymond seemed particularly irked about something, and I think it was related to the pit stop problems. And you know, we’ve got short memories, haven’t we, Simon?

"It was only two weeks ago that we were saying Max Verstappen is back in the world championship hunt, after that fantastic performance in Japan - on pole and then going on to win the Grand Prix.

"So, we should be a little cautious with jumping to conclusions. But it’s clear that Red Bull would have known from testing that they weren’t quite as quick as they had been."