Ralf Schumacher shares what Max Verstappen’s father privately told him about Red Bull set-up woes

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Max Verstappen produced one of the greatest performances of his Formula 1 career at one of his favourite tracks.

F1 fans witnessed Max Verstappen win from 17th on the grid at last year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix in treacherous conditions.

However, when Verstappen was eliminated in Q1 from Saturday’s qualifying session, many wondered whether Red Bull had chosen a set-up direction that would prevent the Dutchman from even finishing in the points on Sunday.

Yuki Tsunoda was used as Red Bull’s guinea pig during the Sprint Race, and his set-up feedback appears to have sent the team partially in the wrong direction.

Verstappen changed his power unit and started in the pit lane as a result, and what happened next demonstrated why he’s a four-time world champion.

The 28-year-old carved his way through the pack and ended up on the podium.

Verstappen would have finished directly behind Lando Norris were it not for some staunch defending from Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Jos Verstappen was in attendance at the race and was seen storming out of the garage after his son’s Q1 exit on Saturday.

Ralf Schumacher has now shared what Verstappen’s father told him after his qualifying woes and what Red Bull did to fix their problems.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Jos Verstappen told Ralf Schumacher ‘how difficult’ it is for Max Verstappen to prepare Red Bull’s tyres

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany after the race, Schumacher was asked about Verstappen’s performance and said: “There was more in it, and that has to be said clearly.

“I spoke with Jos, who said that you can’t imagine how difficult it is to get these tyres into their optimal operating window.

“That would explain why Mercedes and sometimes McLaren have problems. Nevertheless, that shouldn’t be the case for a top team that has won so many world championships.”

Schumacher then spoke about the set-up issues Red Bull had before the race and said: “They’ve taken another wrong turn. This shows that the team, or rather the guards, together with Max Verstappen, don’t yet fully understand the car.

“That’s why the Red Bull’s performance is so inconsistent.”

Jos Verstappen then reacted to Max’s race and admitted: “It was incredibly good. The changes worked.

“You can see that if the car works, it will work. You have to have the confidence that the car is good.”

Verstappen then addressed why Red Bull struggled so much in qualifying before the race and continued: “If it were that simple, we would do it differently. It’s difficult, and you could see that on Saturday. We went in the wrong direction, and it just didn’t work.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Max Verstappen releases statement after mega Brazilian Grand Prix result

Verstappen couldn’t have asked for a better performance in Brazil, and while Lewis Hamilton is an honorary citizen of the country, the 28-year-old might not be far off earning the same accolade, given how much he’s entertained the home fans in recent years.

Posting on Instagram after the race, Verstappen said: “Incredible result for us after a rough start to the weekend.

“Very proud of the team @redbullracing, we never give up. Thank you to everyone around the track for the amazing support.”

He received replies from the likes of former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde and Red Bull junior Pepe Marti, who called his performance a ‘mega drive’ and ‘insane drive’ respectively.

Norris even admitted he was disappointed not to match Verstappen’s pace during Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Verstappen needs to overturn a 49-point deficit over three race weekends to win another title, which seems virtually impossible considering the form that Norris is in.

But until it’s mathematically out of reach, Verstappen and Red Bull won’t stop pushing, as the late development of their 2025 car highlights.