What Max Verstappen did during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend that upset some Red Bull staff

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Red Bull Racing are in trouble and have lost the lead in the Constructors’ Championship with seven race weekends remaining this season.

After being virtually unstoppable in 2023 and starting this campaign in fantastic form, they’ve not only been caught by McLaren but been leapfrogged in terms of performance by Ferrari as well.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner couldn’t have even enjoyed Sergio Perez finally rediscovering some form after he was denied a podium following a collision with Carlos Sainz during the closing stages of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Perez got the better of Max Verstappen throughout the race weekend as the triple-world champion struggled with his car setup.

Jacques Villeneuve was left very confused by Verstappen’s performance in Baku as he not only looked off the pace but sounded deflated on the team radio.

Helmut Marko claimed Verstappen was facing sudden issues throughout the race, but that’s not atypical for the 26-year-old, given how difficult his Red Bull has been to drive for some time.

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

A report from Auto Motor und Sport has shared more details about Verstappen’s weekend.

In particular, Verstappen upset some staff within Red Bull and had to be careful what he said publicly for the rest of the weekend.

How Max Verstappen upset Red Bull staff during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The report from AMuS has shared more details about Red Bull’s approach to the weekend in Baku, suggesting that the team went into the race hoping to ‘spread optimism’.

Pressure is beginning to build on Red Bull’s technical team as they continue to try and fix the car’s issues, and Marko has shared the potential impact Adrian Newey could have had before he decided to join Aston Martin.

Perez performed well at a track that has always suited him, and while Verstappen has never had any obvious difficulties at any particular style of tracks, he simply couldn’t get up to speed in Baku.

It’s now been suggested that he was critical of the car again on Saturday, and that ‘didn’t go down particularly well’ within Red Bull.

So much so that he had to moderate his comments to the press for the rest of the weekend, including after the race.

What Max Verstappen said on Saturday about his Red Bull at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Talking to the media after qualifying 6^th in Baku, Verstappen said: “We made some final changes going into qualifying, so this might have tipped things over the edge unfortunately.

“As soon as I went out into Q1, I felt that the car became a bit more difficult to drive, which was a shame as you want to always have the perfect set-up.

“On a street circuit, you need to be comfortable and confident to be able to attack corners and it is harder to do this when the car is a bit more unpredictable.

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“We tried to find solutions throughout qualifying and my lap in Q2 was good but my Q3 could definitely have been better.

“There was a balance disconnect and we are working and fine-tuning that so we can optimise the car ahead of tomorrow.”

Unfortunately, that fine-tuning made little difference and despite starting nine places ahead of closest title rival Lando Norris on Sunday, he finished behind the McLaren driver.

Max Verstappen taking matters into his own hands at Red Bull

Verstappen made the wrong choice on his setup compared to Perez, but it’s not the first time he’s gone against what his teammate – and Red Bull – have thought is the best way forward.

In Zandvoort, Verstappen made changes to his Red Bull that the team’s factory didn’t know about and ended up finishing a long way behind Norris that weekend.

The problems are Red Bull may have started last year, but his brilliance masked some of those issues.

If they continue into 2025, Red Bull may have an issue as a clause in Verstappen’s contract could allow him to leave if he’s no longer challenging for championships.