Max Verstappen will start the Bahrain Grand Prix from seventh, facing brake and grip issues and openly admitting he doesn’t see himself in the title fight.

Max Verstappen endured a difficult qualifying session in Sakhir, managing only seventh on the grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The reigning four-time world champion has been struggling with Red Bull’s RB21 all weekend, and he didn’t hold back when describing the challenges.

“It’s been difficult all weekend — just struggling with brake feel and stopping power, basically,” Verstappen said after qualifying. “On top of that, the grip has been really poor.”

Despite multiple setup changes aimed at improving the car’s balance and feel, Verstappen explained that nothing seemed to work.

“We’ve been throwing different setups at the car, but nothing has given us a clear direction. That probably shows we’re dealing with deeper problems. I feel like we’re just not getting the tyre grip we need.”

Heading into the race, Verstappen noted he has an extra set of hard tyres available but admitted he’s unsure whether they’ll offer much of an advantage.

“I honestly don’t know how they’ll perform. The degradation is expected to be high, but the hard tyres offer low mechanical grip, so we’ll slide more. At least it gives us an option — we’ll see.”

“I’m Not Fighting for the Championship” After qualifying, Verstappen made headlines with a blunt assessment of his title hopes – or lack thereof.

Despite sitting second in the standings, just one point behind Lando Norris, and coming off a win at Suzuka, the Dutchman was uncharacteristically pessimistic.

“McLaren? They’re not my competitors right now,” Verstappen told reporters, as quoted by GPBlog. “I’m just participating in the championship. I’m not fighting to win it.”

When asked directly if he considered himself in the title race, his answer was short and definitive:

“No.”

Verstappen explained that his win in Japan was a rare exception in what he sees as a difficult season for Red Bull.

“I don’t think we’ve had many chances this season. At Suzuka, maybe, but only because others made mistakes in qualifying. That put us in a good position. On Sunday, the cooler conditions helped with tyre degradation, and it’s not a track where overtaking is easy — that worked in our favor.”

Team Updates and the Road Ahead

While Verstappen struggled, his new Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda made it into Q3 for the first time with the team, marking a positive milestone in his debut season with the Milton Keynes outfit.

At the front of the grid, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took pole position, and Mercedes’ George Russell will line up beside him in second after post-qualifying grid penalties shuffled the order. For Verstappen, the focus is on limiting damage and salvaging points. “I’ll try to do my best — like I do every weekend. I have no idea where we’ll be on race pace. We’re starting in the midfield, so hopefully it brings a bit of excitement.”

Whether it’s just a bump in the road or a deeper issue with Red Bull’s 2025 package, one thing is clear: Max Verstappen isn’t optimistic — and he’s not pretending otherwise.