Red Bull have been used to standing tall at the top of Formula 1, swatting away challengers with the sort of confidence that only comes from years of dominance – But Max Verstappen’s latest remarks after the Dutch Grand Prix should be setting off alarm bells in Milton Keynes. When your four-time world champion is openly questioning why he has to fend off the Red Bull junior ‘Racing Bulls team’, something is seriously wrong.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about a tough weekend or an unlucky strategy call. It’s a driver sounding the alarm that Red Bull may have lost their way with the RB21. The Dutch Grand Prix should have been Verstappen’s playground. Instead, it was a grim reminder that the Red Bull machine is sputtering.
He managed second place, thanks in part to Lando Norris’ late retirement, but the optics were terrible. Verstappen didn’t spend the race chasing McLarens or fending off Ferraris—he was locked in battle with Red Bull’s B-team, Racing Bulls, who had no business breathing down his neck. Isack Hadjar’s car was often within striking distance, and Verstappen admitted the gap rarely stretched beyond three seconds. That sort of proximity is fine for teammates in identical machinery, not when you’re the flagship squad supposedly leading the charge.
Verstappen’s uncomfortable homecoming
“McLaren is on another level,” Verstappen lamented after the race, and he wasn’t exaggerating. Even on softer tyres, his best lap was over six-tenths off Oscar Piastri’s pace. Verstappen may have stood on the podium, but it was a hollow celebration.
He knows what the pecking order is supposed to look like, and it doesn’t involve scrapping with Faenza’s finest.
The RB21’s shrinking window
At the heart of the problem lies Red Bull’s RB21, a car with a narrow operating window and serious adaptability issues. Verstappen made it plain: the car simply doesn’t have the mechanical grip. Zandvoort exposed those shortcomings, with Verstappen admitting he wouldn’t even touch the hard tyre after disastrous feedback in practice.
“Absolutely no mechanical grip,” he confessed. “Everyone else can drive on that tyre, except us.”
When you’re in a position where entire tyre compounds are off the menu, you’re in trouble. That lack of versatility doesn’t just cost pace; it restricts strategic options in a sport where flexibility is everything.
Even in corners where rivals could attack with confidence, Verstappen was forced into saving modes. He had to compromise in the high-speed sweeps of Turns 7 and 8, places where grip should have been a given. Instead, he described “no grip” and being forced into survival tactics while others sailed through. This wasn’t a one-off quirk of Zandvoort—it’s part of a pattern Red Bull have been struggling with all season.
Insider: Newey doesn’t expect Aston title
The Racing Bulls comparison is damning
Perhaps the most worrying element for Red Bull isn’t just that they’re slower than McLaren—it’s that their junior team, Racing Bulls, are closing in. A situation not seen since the early years of 2008 Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso (the old name of Racing Bulls), where a rookie called Sebastian Vettel won a wet Monza race for the junior team, whilst the bigger squad floundered that entire season.
The Faenza squad have already collected 60 points, their best return since 2021, and look revitalised.
On Sunday, they looked as though they belonged on the same bit of track as Verstappen. For Red Bull, that’s a humiliation. Racing Bulls exist to develop drivers and provide data, not to humiliate the main outfit in direct combat. Verstappen himself admitted the truth bluntly: “The whole race we were basically fighting with our sister team based on pure pace. That shouldn’t be happening.”
When the flagship car and the junior team car are essentially trading blows, it says more than any stopwatch ever could. Either Racing Bulls have found an unexpected gear, or Red Bull have produced a dud. The evidence points firmly at the latter.
Mercedes revelations on Hamilton’s departure
McLaren ascend as Red Bull falter
Oscar Piastri’s victory was the cherry on McLaren’s increasingly rich cake. They’ve gone from hopefuls to the benchmark, with Verstappen himself conceding, “I don’t even compare myself with that.”
For years, Red Bull were the squad others measured themselves against. Now Verstappen has resigned himself to a reality where McLaren live in another universe. That is a seismic shift in perception, and once that psychological barrier is broken, Red Bull’s aura of invincibility evaporates.
In Formula 1, confidence matters almost as much as raw pace. If rivals smell blood, they push harder, take more risks, and develop more aggressively. Red Bull’s struggles open the door for others to do just that, and McLaren are already sprinting through it.
The internal pressure cooker
The timing of these woes could not be worse. With Christian Horner ousted earlier this summer, Red Bull are already dealing with a leadership vacuum. Verstappen’s comments, far from the usual PR-polished optimism, suggest frustration is bubbling to the surface. For a driver used to running at the front, battling Racing Bulls must feel like an insult to his status. Red Bull risk turning their golden boy into a disgruntled employee, and that’s a dangerous game.
Moreover, the pressure on Red Bull’s technical team will only intensify. They’ve been praised for years as aerodynamic wizards, yet the RB21 is starting to look like a flawed concept rather than a temporary misfire. If they cannot unlock mechanical grip and broaden the car’s operating window, this won’t just be a bad weekend—it will be a wasted season.
Why Red Bull should be very worried
This isn’t about one Dutch Grand Prix. It’s about a trend. Red Bull haven’t looked comfortable in race trim all year, and Verstappen’s public airing of grievances signals that the problems are deep-rooted. A car that can’t handle tyre compounds, forces compromises through fast corners, and finds itself shadowed by a junior team isn’t a car that will win titles. The fact Verstappen himself is raising these alarms makes it impossible for Red Bull to spin the narrative. If their star driver is worried, the rest of us should be too.
Formula 1 is ruthless. Teams rise and fall quickly, and dynasties crumble faster than they’re built. Red Bull have enjoyed years of supremacy, but the RB21 exposes cracks that could widen into chasms. If McLaren keep marching forward while Red Bull stand still, the title isn’t just gone for this year—it may not return anytime soon.
The verdict
So where does this leave us? Red Bull find themselves in a rare position: vulnerable, exposed, and under pressure from all sides. Verstappen’s honesty is both refreshing and damning, because it forces the team to confront its flaws rather than hide behind excuses. Racing Bulls may have improved, but they should never be a yardstick for Red Bull’s performance. If Verstappen is fighting his sister team rather than his championship rivals, then Red Bull’s empire is truly under siege.
The question is simple: are we witnessing the beginning of Red Bull’s decline, or is this just a painful blip in an otherwise dominant era?
McLaren’s rise suggests the former, and Verstappen’s words only add weight to the theory. Red Bull should be very worried—because their number one driver already is.
MORE F1 NEWS – Indycar 9 times winner to debut in F2 in 2016
The 2025 Indycar season finale last weekend in Nashville left a number of questions unanswered. The series greatest ever qualifier, Will Power with his 65 podiums was believed to be leaving Penske for a destination unknown, despite him being the best of their three drivers this year.
As it turned out, matters were to be swiftly resolved with Andretti’s Colton Herta – with 16 pole positions and 9 wins in Indycar – making the remarkable decision to pursue his Formula One career by moving to Europe and racing in F2.
With Herta being announced last night as Cadillac F1’s test driver, the long standing expectation that Mick Schumacher would join the team was finally dashed. The 25 year old Californian has described this as “a risky move” given he is betting on himself to impress in the sometimes crazy junior formula racing…. READ MORE
Clara Marlowe is a Formula 1 writer at TJ13 with over 15 years of experience in motorsport journalism, having contributed features to established sports magazines such as Evo, MCN, Wisden Cricket Monthly and other digital outlets.
Clara specialises in human-interest storytelling, focusing on the individuals behind the sport, including drivers, engineers, and team personnel whose roles are often overlooked in mainstream coverage.
At TJ13, Clara contributes long-form features and narrative-driven pieces that explore the personal and professional journeys within Formula 1. This includes coverage of career-defining moments, internal team dynamics, and the human impact of high-pressure competition.
Clara’s work brings depth and perspective to the sport, complementing news and analysis with stories that highlight the people behind the machinery.
Clara has a particular interest in how personal narratives intersect with performance, and how individual experiences shape outcomes across a Formula 1 season.
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
