Max Verstappen's Bahrain Gp: What Went Wrong?

Max Verstappen's participation in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix was cut short by a series of technical issues with his Red Bull car. With just three laps remaining, Verstappen was forced to retire from the race after experiencing a loss of power. This came after he had struggled with steering and battery issues throughout the race, which left him unable to challenge race leader Charles Leclerc. Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez also suffered a similar issue, spinning out on the final lap and allowing Lewis Hamilton to claim third place. The problems faced by the Red Bull team were suspected to be related to fuel pump issues, with Verstappen expressing his frustration at the reliability problems and stating that retiring from races shouldn't happen at the top level.

Max Verstappen's Red Bull car suffered multiple problems in the Bahrain Grand Prix

Max Verstappen's Red Bull car suffered multiple problems during the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, forcing him to retire from the race. With just three laps to go, Verstappen, who was running second, lost power and was forced to limp into the pits. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, suffered similar power issues and spun out on the final lap, allowing Lewis Hamilton to claim third place.

Verstappen had a close race-long battle for the lead with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. However, he experienced several issues during the race, including steering, battery, and fuel pump problems. After his final pit stop, Verstappen reported that his steering felt heavy and almost impossible to control, with a noticeable delay when turning right. He also complained about a loss of battery power, which his team initially dismissed. Despite being informed that his power steering issues would not worsen, Verstappen continued to struggle and was passed by Sainz on lap 55.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted that the issues affecting Verstappen and Perez were likely similar in nature but that the exact problem was still unknown. Verstappen's early retirement from the race left him without any points, while Leclerc took the win for Ferrari.

Verstappen was forced to retire from the race with three laps remaining

Max Verstappen was forced to retire from the Bahrain Grand Prix with just three laps remaining. Verstappen's Red Bull car suffered multiple problems, including steering and battery issues, and a suspected fuel pump problem.

Verstappen had been running second for Red Bull and had been locked in a close race-long battle for the lead with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. However, his car began to experience issues after his final pit stop. Verstappen reported that his steering wheel had become very heavy, and he was almost unable to steer at high speeds. Despite these issues, Verstappen managed to stay out on the track, but then began to experience battery problems.

On lap 52, he asked his race engineer, "What's going on with the battery?" and was told that the battery was fine. However, Verstappen disagreed, replying, "No, it's not... what the f* is this?" Soon after, he was passed by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and eventually had to retire to the pit lane.

Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, also suffered a fuel pump issue and spun out on the final lap, allowing Lewis Hamilton to claim third place. Speaking after the race, Verstappen expressed his frustration with the various issues he had to deal with and said that retiring from races "shouldn't happen" at this level of the sport.

Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, also suffered a fuel pump issue

Max Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, also suffered a fuel pump issue during the Bahrain Grand Prix. With just one lap to go, Perez was in third place, but he started to experience similar power issues to Verstappen. The power issues caused him to spin out on the final lap at turn one, allowing Lewis Hamilton to claim third place.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted that the issues affecting Verstappen and Perez were of a similar nature, but the exact problem was not yet known. Horner told Sky Sports:

> It was a similar issue on both cars, we don't know exactly what it is just yet.

Verstappen and Perez's retirements meant that Red Bull did not score any points in the first race of the season.

Verstappen's frustration boiled over on race radio after his car failed in the final laps

Max Verstappen's frustration boiled over on race radio after his car failed in the final laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver, who was running second at the time, had to retire from the race with just three laps to go due to a loss of power. This came after he had already been struggling with steering and battery issues.

Verstappen's radio messages throughout the race were indicative of his growing frustration. On lap 32, after being told to take it easy on his out lap, he fumed: "OK, this is now two times that I take it easy on the out-lap, that I could have been in front. I am never, ever doing it again." Later, when discussing the steering issues with his race engineer, he snapped: "No, just f*ing tell me what's wrong and I'll try to handle it."

After the race, Verstappen continued to express his frustration, saying: "It was very hard out there, a lot of different issues we had to deal with. This is of course not what you want to happen in the first race weekend... There was just a lot of things to analyse." He also added that while problems and retirements can happen, they "shouldn't happen" at this level, with the amount of information teams have about engines.

Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, suffered a similar fate, with power issues causing him to spin out on the final lap and allowing Lewis Hamilton to claim third place. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted that the problems were likely identical and related to the fuel supply, but that the exact cause was still unknown.

Verstappen said he was unhappy with 'different issues' during the race

Max Verstappen was left frustrated after a disappointing race in Bahrain, expressing his unhappiness with a range of issues that plagued his performance. The reigning world champion, who had to retire from the race, faced steering problems, battery failure, and a loss of power that forced him to limp into the pits.

Verstappen's woes began when he requested to pass race leader Charles Leclerc, but his team advised him to take it easy on his out lap. This left him fuming, as he felt he could have been in front. The steering issue, which emerged after his final stop, made it almost impossible to steer, with the problem worsening as his speed increased. He also experienced a delay when turning right, impacting his restart.

Verstappen also encountered battery issues, which his team initially denied, and he was eventually passed by Carlos Sainz before retiring to the pit lane. He described the situation as his car s*ing itself.

The Red Bull driver was unhappy with the handling of his RB18 and felt the pace wasn't amazing. He also expressed disappointment with the team's strategy, believing they could have been more aggressive on the out-laps. He further noted brake problems, which overheated when he wanted to attack, forcing him to let Leclerc go.

Verstappen acknowledged that while problems can happen, he felt that at this level, with the amount of information available on engines, such issues shouldn't occur. He and his team had a lot to analyze and understand following the race, as they sought to improve their performance for the upcoming races.

Frequently asked questions