Red Bull's Bahrain Gp: What Went Wrong?

Red Bull's 2022 F1 season got off to a disastrous start at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez forced to retire in the closing laps due to technical issues. The team blamed a suspected fuel pump issue for the double DNF, which cost them 30 points and handed Ferrari a 1-2 finish. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that both cars suffered from a lack of fuel getting to the engine, while Verstappen also experienced power steering issues. Team boss Christian Horner called the race a worst nightmare and said they needed to get on top of this issue ahead of the next race in Saudi Arabia.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez retire from the race

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's cars both failed during the Bahrain Grand Prix race, forcing them to retire and leaving Red Bull with zero points.

Verstappen and Perez were running near the front of the pack for the entire race, with Verstappen challenging Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for the lead. However, on lap 46, Verstappen radioed his team to report issues with his steering, which soon progressed to battery problems. Despite the team's reassurances, the issues persisted, and Verstappen was eventually called to the pit lane, ending his race.

Perez was on track to secure a P4 finish for Red Bull, but his engine seized up on the final lap, causing him to spin out. This locked the rear axle, and he too was forced to retire.

Red Bull suspected that a "'fuel pump issue' was to blame for the double retirement, with team principal Christian Horner describing the incident as the team's ""worst nightmare". The issue meant that the Honda combustion engine couldn't get fed with the remaining fuel in the cars.

The disappointment was palpable, with Horner noting that they had a ""competitive car" and that they were in contention for a ""decent haul of points" before the late issues struck. Verstappen also expressed his frustration, stating that such technical problems "shouldn't happen at this level".

Red Bull blames a suspected fuel pump issue

Red Bull's 2022 F1 campaign got off to a disastrous start at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Both drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, failed to finish the race due to a suspected fuel pump issue.

Verstappen, the reigning world champion, had looked set to finish second behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. However, on lap 46, he began experiencing issues with his steering, which became increasingly difficult to control. Despite assurances from his team that the battery was not the problem, Verstappen was forced to retire from the race on lap 54.

Perez, who was in fourth place, looked poised to salvage some points for Red Bull. However, his engine failed on the final lap, causing him to spin out and dash any hopes of a podium finish.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that both cars suffered from a fuel pump issue, resulting in the engine not receiving enough fuel. Team principal Christian Horner called the double retirement brutal and the team's worst nightmare. He acknowledged the need to investigate and understand the issue to prevent future occurrences.

The disappointing result in Bahrain left Red Bull with zero points from the season's first race, while rivals Ferrari and Mercedes secured the top four spots.

Verstappen experiences steering and battery issues

Max Verstappen's Red Bull car suffered steering and battery issues during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Verstappen's steering problems began after his third pit stop. He reported that his steering was getting heavier, telling his team: "Everywhere, everywhere!" His race engineer asked if the steering was heavy in both directions. Despite this issue, Verstappen managed to hold on to second place. However, his problems worsened after a restart, with the battery failing and causing him to lose straight-line speed.

Over the radio, Verstappen complained about the battery, but the engineers insisted it was "fine". Eventually, he was called to the pit lane and forced to retire from the race.

Red Bull suspected that a ""fuel pump issue" was the root cause of Verstappen's problems. The team principal, Christian Horner, called it a ""brutal finish" and the team's ""worst nightmare", as they walked away from Bahrain with zero points.

Verstappen himself was frustrated, saying:

> "I don't know why... It was not even that the steering wheel just got too heavy, it was almost impossible to steer, and the faster I was going, it felt also like there was like a delay, so every time I was turning right it took a while before something was happening... It was very hard out there with a lot of different issues that we had to deal with and this is, of course, not what you want to have on the first race weekend."

Perez's engine seizes up on the last lap

The Bahrain Grand Prix was a disaster for Red Bull, with both drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, failing to finish the race. Perez's engine seized up on the last lap, causing him to spin out and ending all hopes of Red Bull making it out of Bahrain with a podium finish.

Perez's engine failure occurred at the first corner on the final lap, promoting Lewis Hamilton to third place and giving Ferrari a one-two finish. This was a devastating outcome for Red Bull, as they had been in a strong position to secure at least one podium finish.

Red Bull suspected that a ""fuel pump issue" was to blame for the issues with both cars. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, both cars had the same problem of not getting enough fuel to the engine. In a post-race interview, Verstappen also attributed the problems to fuel pump issues.

The team principal, Christian Horner, called the double retirement ""brutal" and the team's "worst nightmare". He acknowledged that they needed to get on top of the issue quickly and fight back in the next race.

Red Bull leaves Bahrain with zero points

Red Bull's 2022 F1 campaign got off to a disastrous start at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with both drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, failing to finish the race. The team left Bahrain with zero points, a shocking outcome for a top-tier team.

Verstappen and Perez had been running near the front of the pack for the entire race and were set to secure podium finishes. However, both drivers were forced to retire with technical issues in the closing laps.

Verstappen, the defending champion, experienced issues with his steering and battery, which left him frustrated and furious. Despite assurances from the team that there was no issue with the battery, the problem persisted, and he was eventually called into the pit lane, ending his race.

Perez, who was in contention for a fourth-place finish, suffered an engine failure on the final lap, causing his car to spin and dash any hopes of a Red Bull podium finish.

Red Bull suspected that a ""fuel pump issue" was to blame for the issues faced by both drivers, with team principal Christian Horner calling the outcome a ""brutal finish" and the team's ""worst nightmare". The failure to score any points in the opening race dealt a significant blow to Red Bull's championship aspirations.

The race was won by Charles Leclerc, with a Ferrari one-two, while Lewis Hamilton claimed third place for Mercedes, benefiting from the late retirements of the Red Bull drivers.

Frequently asked questions