Red Bull and Max Verstappen are “looking into” the problems they had last week as the team hopes to bounce back in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on Sunday. It comes after both Red Bull cars failed to complete last week’s race in Bahrain. Verstappen told Sky Sports this week: “We’re still looking into the exact cause of it because it’s quite complicated apparently. “Basically what happened was there was no fuel going to the engine anymore, the engine turned off at one point!”
While Red Bull suffered from reliability issues it was not far off the pace of Ferrari which secured a one-two finish.
This could result in a new rivalry between the teams this season, something fans have seen glimpses of in the past.
Verstappen is no stranger to controversy with Ferrari having come to blows with the team during the 2019 season.
In November that year, the Dutchman accused the outfit of “cheating” after an FIA directive stopped the Scuderia from violating rules on fuel flow.
The ruling caused Ferrari’s pace to drop off, provoking Verstappen to say: “That’s what happens when you stop cheating, of course.
“But yeah, they had a good look at it. So now we have to keep a close eye on it, of course.”
Italian media outfits were not impressed with Verstappen’s comments and reacted furiously, hitting out at the Dutchman.
Motorsport outlet Autosprint said: “Simple one: Motor racing is not politics and opinions don’t count.
“Only the truth counts and there are specific, credible and quick procedures to ascertain it.
“In the racing world, if someone believes that a rival is cheating, you can be sure that two seconds later he will make a complaint (to the FIA).
“But for now, before checking, there is only unsportsmanlike behavior from Verstappen who said a very serious thing without having or providing any supporting evidence.
“Perhaps the best thing for a driver would be to keep quiet and keep his foot down, leaving it to others to investigate these alleged delicate matters.
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“In football, an episode of this kind would be punished harshly, with a lot of money and disciplinary consequences. It would be good if in F1 things worked in the same way.
“If Red Bull has something to say about Ferrari, do it now or hold it forever.”
Formula Passion’s Mauro Forghieri said Verstappen’s criticism displayed his “unpleasant” personality.
He added: “Today I consider Verstappen to be the true prototype of the new Formula 1 World Champion, but also a great champion to dislike, at least for me.
“Perhaps he does not know how to relate to others because he is too young.
“To be unpleasant to rivals is normal, especially when you beat them all, but just being generally unpleasant is exaggerated.
“When I say that the Red Bull driver is not very intelligent, I refer to his recent statement in which he accuses Ferrari of ‘cheating’.
“A true champion, a public figure, cannot express himself in that way, he must not allow himself to criticize others like this.
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“Either he has the courage to substantiate his statement, or he should shut up.”
Meanwhile, Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc took the win in Bahrain last week, and with Verstappen hot on his heels, the drivers 2019 rivalry could be revived.
Leclerc and Verstappen clashed in the Styrian Grand Prix of that year when the Dutchman forced his Ferrari opponent off the track.
This week, Sky Sports pundit Anthony Davidson claimed Leclerc has “never forgiven” Verstappen for the incident and suggested their rivalry could be even more fierce this season.
He said: “I feel like this stems back to 2019 when they were in Austria at the Styrian Grand Prix and Max was hunting down Charles towards the end of the race.
“With two or three laps remaining he [Max] had a go at the turn-three hairpin, didn’t make it stick the first time because he didn’t really squeeze Charles and gave him room around the outside and Charles came back and that was all fair.
“The next lap, however, he pushed him off the track and I don’t think Charles has ever forgiven him for that.
“I think Charles, every time he is with Max now, treats him differently and that’s what I immediately see coming into play in Bahrain.
“Max is going to have to rethink how he races him I think going forward from here. It is going to be interesting.”
