Verstappen’s Struggles Explained: What Went Wrong for Red Bull in Mexico?

It wasn’t a perfect weekend for Max Verstappen at the Mexican Grand Prix. Despite finishing third and keeping his title hopes alive, the Dutchman spent most of the weekend frustrated with the behavior of his Red Bull RB21. Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes he knows exactly what went wrong — and why Verstappen’s car simply didn’t suit the circuit.

Verstappen Battles an Unstable Car

Heading into the weekend, Verstappen knew he needed a strong result to stay in touch with the McLarens in the championship fight. However, Saturday qualifying didn’t go to plan — he could only manage fifth on the grid, later admitting that a podium “would require a miracle.” On race day, an alternative one-stop strategy helped him recover to third place, coming close to snatching second from Charles Leclerc in the closing laps.

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Although Verstappen’s podium finish was a solid damage-limitation result, he made it clear the car didn’t behave as expected. Throughout practice and qualifying, he complained about instability and a lack of front-end grip. Only on the softer compound tires in the final stint did the RB21 seem to come alive.

Ralf Schumacher Explains the Issue

Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Ralf Schumacher offered his technical take on Verstappen’s troubles. “It was quite obvious,” he said. “Qualifying was difficult — he couldn’t quite get everything to come together. The gap to Lando Norris was only a few tenths, but it was clear the car worked better with less fuel on the softer tires, which naturally provide more grip.”

According to Schumacher, the issue came down to mechanical grip. “For me, it means the Red Bull lacked mechanical traction. They’ve set up the car very low and stiff to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. Aerodynamically, the car is incredibly effective, but that comes at the cost of comfort and flexibility over bumps and curbs. They’re minimizing drag, but that setup doesn’t always work on low-grip surfaces like Mexico.”

Verstappen’s Style Didn’t Match the Setup

Schumacher added that the problem was also related to driving style. “Max can handle an unstable car very well — he even prefers one that’s a bit loose at the rear. But in this case, the combination of reduced downforce, the slippery track surface, and the stiff suspension simply didn’t work. He could only compensate for it with the red (soft) tire. On the yellow

(medium) compound, he just didn’t have the speed. That’s what made his weekend so difficult.”

Despite those challenges, Verstappen’s third place means he remains firmly in contention for the world championship, with only a handful of races left to close the gap on Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.