Max Verstappen Fears Red Bull Lacks Pace as Crucial Abu Dhabi Title Showdown Begins
Max Verstappen has expressed growing concern that Red Bull may not have the raw speed required to fight for victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, admitting he currently sees a “decent gap” to championship rival Lando Norris. With the title on the line and Verstappen trailing by 12 points heading into the final weekend, the Dutchman acknowledges that McLaren holds the early advantage after an impressive showing on Friday.
Despite ending the opening day of practice “fairly happy” with the overall balance of his RB21, Verstappen could not ignore the underlying issue: the car simply isn’t fast enough. Norris topped both the FP1 and FP2 sessions, while Verstappen finished 0.363s behind in the more representative evening running, a margin that raised eyebrows within the Red Bull garage.
Reflecting on his practice sessions, the four-time world champion offered a mixed review. “It was pretty okay overall,” he said. “The car felt alright, and I wasn’t unhappy with the balance. But we just need to be a little bit quicker. Right now, it’s not fast enough, and that’s something we need to address if we want to be in the fight.”
The Yas Marina Circuit has traditionally been a strong venue for Red Bull, but this year’s RB21 has proven unpredictable. Throughout the 2025 season, the team has wrestled with persistent bouncing and ride issues—problems that once again resurfaced during both practice sessions on Friday. Verstappen explained that the ongoing oscillations compromise the car’s stability, especially in the higher-speed sections and under braking, making it difficult to extract consistent performance.
“That’s a constant fight we’re dealing with,” he admitted. “It’s been part of our season, so it’s not surprising to see it here again. But ideally, you want the car to be in a more comfortable window so you can push without worrying about the bouncing. Right now, that’s still something we have to work on.”
With Norris looking composed and quick from the start of the weekend, the pressure is mounting. Verstappen must overturn a 12-point deficit if he hopes to claim a fifth consecutive world title, meaning he likely needs nothing short of a victory on Sunday. The Dutchman knows the challenge ahead is significant, particularly given McLaren’s strong single-lap speed and competitive long-run pace.
When asked how optimistic he felt about closing the gap overnight, Verstappen remained cautiously hopeful. “It seems like there’s a decent gap we need to close,” he said. “From our side, we’ll try to put the best possible car on track. The team will dig into the data, and hopefully we can find something. Let’s see how much performance we can unlock before tomorrow.”
The key question is whether Red Bull can make gains in both qualifying trim and race pace. Typically, Verstappen excels over longer stints, but he conceded that improvements were required across the board. “It’s not just one area,” he explained. “Both the single lap and long run need to be better. We’re not in the window we want yet.”
Saturday’s final practice and qualifying will be critical. Any failure to match McLaren’s pace could leave Verstappen with too much to do on race day. While Red Bull has often produced overnight turnarounds in the past, the team is tackling a combination of setup complications, ride quality issues, and outright pace deficits—challenges that cannot be solved with adjustments alone.
Still, Verstappen remains determined. His ability to elevate performance under pressure has defined his championship runs, and he has rarely shied away from high-stakes situations. But even he admits that unless Red Bull finds meaningful gains, he could be facing an uphill battle in the most important weekend of the season.
As the Abu Dhabi finale dawns, both teams enter the decisive stages of their title fight with contrasting momentum. McLaren appears confident and composed, while Red Bull is searching for answers. For Verstappen, whose dominance has shaped much of the hybrid era, the possibility of losing the title adds another layer of intensity.
With one day left to turn things around, Red Bull’s engineers have a long night ahead of them. Whether the team can close the gap may determine more than just the outcome of a race—it could define the end of an era.
