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Reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen stunned fans with a bombshell admission about his Red Bull RB21—after clinching pole position for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. The Dutchman, chasing a historic fifth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship, has opened the 2025 season with mixed results: a P2 finish in Australia, P4 in China, and now a hard-fought pole at Suzuka.
Yet, despite his blistering qualifying lap, Verstappen dropped a cryptic critique of his car’s performance, hinting at unresolved struggles. What’s behind the champion’s unexpected frustration amid success?
Max Verstappen’s candid car critique
Max Verstappen’s pole-winning lap at Suzuka—a razor-thin 0.012 seconds faster than McLaren’s Lando Norris—masked deeper issues plaguing the RB21. In a post-qualifying press conference, the Red Bull star didn’t hold back:
“Maybe, if you want to drive the car, you can give it a go. I think you’re going to poop your pants!”
The jab, laced with dark humor, underscored his ongoing battle with the car’s “through-corner balance,” a flaw he claims Red Bull has yet to fix despite emergency talks after China’s disappointing outing.
The Dutchman revealed the RB21’s unpredictability forced him into a high-risk strategy during qualifying.
“I didn’t go into the lap fully confident… I just sent it in and hoped it’d stick,” he admitted. While his audacity paid off, Verstappen stressed the pole was a “surprise,” not a sign of progress. “We still have clear issues. This isn’t suddenly perfect.”
His comments clash starkly with Red Bull’s reputation for engineering dominance, raising questions about the car’s development trajectory.
A season of grit, not grace
Verstappen’s Suzuka struggles began in practice, where he grappled with the RB21’s handling. Team advisor Helmut Marko confirmed the champion had confronted engineers about the car’s “driveability” during crisis meetings. Though tweaks improved low-fuel performance for qualifying, Verstappen likened the experience to “masking” flaws rather than solving them.
“In high-speed corners, any imbalance gets magnified,” he explained, citing Spoon Curve and Sector 1 as nerve-wracking challenges.
Even teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s dismal 15th-place qualifying result—blamed on tire prep—didn’t distract Max Verstappen from the RB21’s core issues. “It’s not about the tires,” he insisted, doubling down on mid-corner instability as Red Bull’s Achilles’ heel.
A pole built on instinct, not confidence
Verstappen’s 41st career pole, dubbed one of his “most special” due to the RB21’s limitations, highlighted his raw skill.
“I had fun being fully committed, even when I wasn’t sure I’d keep the car on track,” he said, referencing daring maneuvers at Turns 1-2 and the Esses. Yet, the triumph felt bittersweet.
“We’re experimenting, but solving this isn’t easy.”
With McLaren’s Norris leading the championship, Max Verstappen’s candidness exposes Red Bull’s vulnerability. For now, the champion’s brilliance is papering over cracks—but how long can that last?
