Max Verstappen Confirms Red Bull to Make Major Setup Changes After Sprint Struggles in Brazil
Max Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull will implement significant adjustments to his RB21 car ahead of qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, following a disappointing performance in Saturday’s sprint race at Interlagos.
The reigning four-time world champion endured one of his most challenging sprint outings of the season, finishing outside of the podium positions after struggling for pace against his key rivals from McLaren and Mercedes. Starting from sixth on the grid, Verstappen managed a clean start, quickly overtaking Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin for fifth place. However, the Dutchman soon realized that his pace was far from competitive enough to keep up with the leading quartet.
Despite early optimism, Verstappen’s race was defined by a lack of grip and balance, leaving him unable to close the gap to the front-runners. His afternoon took another twist when a dramatic three-car crash on lap seven involving Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, and Nico Hülkenberg brought out the red flags. The incident eliminated all three drivers from the race, while Verstappen was elevated to fourth position.
The stoppage gave Verstappen a chance to communicate his frustrations directly to his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, over the team radio. He made it clear that the RB21 was not behaving as expected, particularly struggling with tire temperature and stability through Interlagos’ technical middle sector.
When the sprint resumed, Verstappen’s troubles continued. He once again struggled to bring his tyres into the optimal temperature range, leaving him vulnerable to Alonso behind. The Aston Martin driver repeatedly pressured Verstappen in the early laps after the restart, forcing the Dutchman to drive defensively instead of attacking the cars ahead.
It wasn’t until the tyres finally reached their working range that Verstappen managed to stabilize his pace and create a gap from Alonso. Yet, even with some breathing room, the Red Bull driver found himself unable to mount any serious challenge for a podium finish. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who eventually won the sprint, along with Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, were clearly out of reach.
After crossing the finish line in fourth, Verstappen didn’t hide his disappointment. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he confirmed that Red Bull would make setup changes to the RB21 before the main qualifying session, in hopes of improving its competitiveness.
> “We will make some changes,” Verstappen stated. “Hopefully that will bring the car into a better window and allow us to push a bit more on the tyres. Then we’ll see what happens, because right now, to be honest, I’m in no man’s land. I can’t really stay with the guys ahead.”
The Dutch driver added that while he desperately wants to fight at the front, his car simply lacks the balance and grip to do so.
> “Yeah, I want to stay with them. But on the other hand, if we can find a bit more performance, maybe I can fight with Mercedes,” he added.
The sprint result highlights Red Bull’s ongoing struggle with consistency across different track conditions. Since the introduction of the RB21, Verstappen has largely dominated, but certain circuits — like Interlagos — seem to expose weaknesses in the car’s balance and tire management. The wet-to-dry conditions in São Paulo further complicated matters, as Verstappen’s car setup appeared to sit outside the optimal performance window.
Red Bull’s trackside engineering team, led by Lambiase and chief engineer Paul Monaghan, is expected to focus on improving rear-end stability and mid-corner balance before the main qualifying session. Verstappen himself emphasized that the car needs to respond better to changes in tire temperature, a crucial factor at a demanding circuit like Interlagos, where elevation changes and long corners test mechanical grip to the limit.
Despite the frustration, Verstappen remains confident that Red Bull can turn things around quickly. The team has historically been strong in making overnight setup improvements, and with car changes permitted before qualifying, the Dutchman hopes to rediscover his usual dominant form in time for Sunday’s race.
For Red Bull, the challenge now is not just about competing with McLaren — whose Lando Norris claimed a commanding sprint win — but also about holding off a resurgent Mercedes team that showed impressive pace in race trim.
The São Paulo weekend has been anything but straightforward, with unpredictable weather, tricky track conditions, and tight battles across the grid. But for Verstappen, the goal remains simple: find the missing performance, close the gap to the front, and put himself back in contention for a strong finish in the Grand Prix.
If Red Bull’s planned changes deliver, Verstappen could yet transform a frustrating sprint into a potential victory challenge on Sunday — but as things stand, the reigning champion knows he’ll need more than just determination to keep up with his fast-improving rivals.
