Verstappen and Red Bull Baffled by RB21 Issues After Brazil Qualifying Debacle

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are left scratching their heads after a disastrous qualifying session in Brazil, with the reigning world champion repeatedly stating he has no idea what's wrong with the car.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's unexpected struggles in Brazil, particularly Verstappen's first Q1 exit on pure pace, signal a potentially significant shift in form for the dominant team. With championship aspirations dwindling and McLaren showing strong pace, understanding and resolving these issues quickly is crucial for Red Bull to regain its competitive edge and prevent rivals from closing the gap even further.

The Details:

• Unexplained Issues: Verstappen told De Telegraaf that the team is "at their wits' end," stating, "We simply don't know. We changed everything, took off the upgrades from Mexico, but nothing works. We don't understand it."
• Dual Car Struggle: Both Red Bull cars qualified at the back, indicating a fundamental problem rather than an isolated incident with Verstappen's car. Verstappen emphasized, "We're all the way at the back with both cars, so we're definitely doing something wrong."
• Championship Hopes Diminished: After finishing fourth in the Sprint, extending his gap to Lando Norris to 39 points, Verstappen has effectively ruled out a fifth consecutive title, declaring, "We don't need to talk about the championship anymore. That's done."
• Austin Race Context: Verstappen reflected on recent performances, noting, "If you look at the race in Austin, we were lucky that at the start Charles got ahead of Lando. We weren't the fastest there either," suggesting underlying performance concerns may have been masked in previous races.
• RB21 Performance Concerns: The struggles raise questions about the true performance ceiling of the RB21, especially as competitors like McLaren appear to be making significant strides in pace and consistency.

What's next:

Red Bull faces a monumental task to diagnose and rectify the issues plaguing the RB21 before the main race. The team will need to conduct a thorough analysis to understand the car's behavior and performance deficit.

• The Sao Paulo Grand Prix continues later today at 17:00 BST / 18:00 CET, presenting a difficult race from the back of the grid for both Verstappen and his teammate.
• The focus will shift from championship contention to understanding what went wrong and demonstrating any signs of recovery, which could be crucial for their morale and future development heading into the final races of the season.