Max Verstappen had a weekend from hell for Red Bull and Ralf Schumacher expects there may not be many more.

A winner in Japan last time out, the four-time champion saw his car well off the pace in Bahrain as he scrapped for sixth with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri winning the Grand Prix comfortably.

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Sky Sports

Two slip-ups ruined his race, including his pit light not going green[/caption]

F1

Verstappen shook his head at the error and muttered ‘f*** man’ over team radio[/caption]

Verstappen was only able to qualify seventh for the race with Red Bull the fifth fastest car in Sakhir, perhaps showing that Japan was likely an anomaly.

On top of that, there were two huge errors from his team, with a pit light malfunctioning on to delay his first pitstop, and a wheel not going on for his second.

Verstappen ranted over team radio and after the second slip up could clearly be seen shaking his head as he exited his pit box.

Failures from the team would have made Red Bull’s pace an even bigger concern for Verstappen, and Schumacher doesn’t see him putting up with it much longer.

“I’m pretty sure that if the upgrade on the car doesn’t take effect by Imola and the new engine – I’m just talking about rumours – doesn’t run quite as well, Max Verstappen will definitely leave the team,” the six-time race winner said during the broadcast.

The race in Imola is on May 18 as Formula 1 returns to Europe for the summer, a period when driver moves are often made.

With both Aston Martin and Mercedes linked with a move for the Dutchman, Schumacher also expects them to try and pounce.

“You can see the difference he makes,” Schumacher added. “You absolutely have to get this driver and everyone wants to have him.”

Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has regularly talked up the possibility of signing Verstappen, while Aston now have Adrian Newey among their ranks – the greatest car designer in F1 history who masterminded all of Red Bull’s titles.

“A bigger adventure awaits Verstappen at Aston Martin,” Schumacher added. “Together with Adrian Newey, whom he knows very well.

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“He also knows Honda, which he knows very well, and also a [new] factory that has a future.”

Schumacher was the first to break Red Bull’s firings of Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson over the past two seasons, although they were with the Racing Bulls junior squad.

Elsewhere in the Grand Prix George Russell came home in second behind a completely dominant Piastri who won by 15.499 seconds despite a safety car interruption bunching up the pack.

Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris finished third despite a five second time penalty while Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were next in fourth and fifth.

Hamilton overtook his old rival Verstappen to claim that spot, and the Dutchman then said on team radio: “I can’t even brake anymore, it’s just ridiculous.”