Max Verstappen’s manager erupts after Bahrain GP failure

There were fireworks in the Red Bull garage following a disastrous 2025 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix for Max Verstappen, with the world champion’s manager reportedly unloading on senior team advisor Helmut Marko in a fiery confrontation on Monday (AEST).

Verstappen, who had dominated just a week earlier in Japan, endured a nightmare weekend in Sakhir as Red Bull’s 2025 car faltered under pressure.

He paying the longest odds in four years to win the Bahrain Grand Prix at $26 with BetOnline — remarkable value for the greatest driver of this decade.

Plagued by brake issues and pit-stop blunders, the Dutchman limped home in sixth place — his worst result of the season — and fell to third in the drivers’ standings behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Aussie star Oscar Piastri, who took out the win from pole.

Post-race tensions reached boiling point when Raymond Vermeulen, Verstappen’s long-time manager, was seen storming into the Red Bull garage and giving Marko a “right piece of his mind”, according to Sky Sports pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz.

The animated exchange ended with Vermeulen ripping off his paddock pass and exiting the garage, leaving stunned onlookers in his wake.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted the weekend was a write-off, conceding, “Nothing went our way from the start.”

But behind closed doors, frustrations are clearly mounting — especially from Verstappen’s camp — as the once-dominant outfit now finds itself outpaced by McLaren and Mercedes.

Verstappen, who claimed the Drivers’ Championship just four months ago, is now priced at $13 with top online bookmakers to go back-to-back this season.

With Red Bull struggling for pace and McLaren emerging as the clear benchmark in 2025, Verstappen finds himself chasing more than just points.

Rumours are swirling about a potential switch to Mercedes or Aston Martin — who will partner with Honda in 2026 — despite Verstappen being contracted until 2028.

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