Red Bull, expected to dominate in Qatar, struggled as the RB21 fell outside its ideal performance window. Bouncing and understeer limited Max Verstappen, who could only manage third in qualifying. Team Principal Laurent Mekies admitted the gap to McLaren was bigger than expected, while Max Verstappen highlighted persistent grip problems. To remain in contention, the Dutchman will need both aggression and a touch of luck.
RB21 looked promising on paper but fell short on track
On paper, the Lusail circuit should have suited the Red Bull better than some other venues: the numerous high-speed corners play to the strengths the RB21 has shown for much of the season. Notably, this is where Milton Keynes secured its final win of 2024. This year, however, the situation looks different: even in qualifying, Verstappen could not get higher than third place.
The hope was to fight for pole position and, consequently, for the race victory. From the outset, it became clear that the Anglo-Austrian car was far from its ideal window, hampered by troublesome bouncing and significant understeer. These two issues severely limited the Dutchman all weekend and took Red Bull by surprise.
“Honestly, the bouncing caught us off guard, I won’t lie. Both in the Sprint qualifying and the Sprint race. It was a bit better in the main qualifying, and the performance improved slightly. Here, it’s part of the equation—this track has many high- and medium-speed corners. It’s not easy to get everything right. But we expected McLaren to be competitive here,” explained Laurent Mekies.
“We never managed to match McLaren’s speed, but it’s fair to say that the gap has narrowed and the car’s balance is slightly closer to what we want. We also know the race is long, and we’ll push until the end tomorrow, even if the car is still not in what we would call its ‘sweet spot,’ the ideal window.”
Bouncing and understeer hinder single-lap pace
Laurent Mekies’ comments are accurate: the numerous medium-speed long corners have traditionally favored McLaren. At the same time, Red Bull expected the RB21 to be more competitive and easier to push to the limit, but the many long corners amplified the understeer problem.
The decision to keep the car very low on Friday on a smooth track seemed an aggressive attempt to extract more from the package. Opening parc fermé allowed some adjustments, reducing the bouncing, but did not solve the chronic understeer that has set the Milton Keynes team back several months, leaving them with a short blanket they could not fully stretch.
With the adjustments, the car showed less bouncing, indicating changes to ride heights, although the problem did not disappear completely. While this sacrifice reduced some aerodynamic load, it made the car more manageable.
“It went better. We tried to erase some of yesterday’s problems, and the feeling was slightly more positive, but the same issues were still present. Also, I didn’t have enough front-end grip, which limits you on lap time here, especially with all these medium-speed corners. Basically, it prevents you from pushing harder,” Max Verstappen added.
Tire management and high-speed corners remain a challenge
Thermal degradation isn’t a major issue here, but on a single lap, given the many high-speed sections, keeping temperatures under control is crucial to prevent tires from overheating and losing grip. Combine this with the RB21’s tendency to understeer, and it becomes clear why Saturday’s qualifying remained difficult.
“That’s exactly what happened in qualifying. We tried to make the most of our preparation, ensuring we were at the top with everything we could still change. So, I’d say it was okay. The last lap was good but still limited by the problems I’m facing at the moment,” Max said.
“At the moment, we are not able to fight McLaren. We know the start could be decisive, so we’ll try to make a difference there. But who knows what can happen in the race? We have two stops, and not everything is in your control. Crazy things can happen behind. You need a bit of luck to win.”
Aggression and luck needed to stay in title contention
Verstappen does not see himself fighting McLaren head-to-head but knows he will need a bit of luck to turn a difficult weekend into a strong result. It’s equally clear that a victory is essential to keep his fading championship hopes alive. To achieve this, the Dutchman will need to be aggressive from the first corners, denying McLaren the chance to impose their rhythm, and push beyond the limits that even surprised Red Bull to overturn a scenario that, on paper, seems already written.
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