Yuki Tsunoda in the sister car finished a penalised 16th as the only driver lapped twice. An unscheduled third stop for damage repairs put him a whopping 30.4 seconds off the back of the pack.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
In Verstappen\u2019s hands the RB21 was a front-row contender on Saturday and would have been a podium threat on Sunday.<\/p>\n
With Tsunoda behind the wheel it was a backmarker, qualifying 18th and staggering around at the rear of the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pace itself was pretty poor,\u201d the clearly dejected Japanese driver said after the race. \u201cI\u2019m not sure what I\u2019m doing wrong, to be honest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to look through it harder, but it\u2019s really, really hard to find the reason for what I\u2019m doing so wrong to drive this slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can do something different in the driving style or if I can take something that Max is doing differently compared to me \u2014 whatever it is, I\u2019ll try, from left to right, everything, and keep improving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austria was Tsunoda\u2019s fourth non-scoring race in a row, and the Japanese driver has scored just seven points since switching to Red Bull Racing at the third round of the season. Only five other drivers \u2014 one of whom has since been dropped \u2014 have scored fewer points in that time.<\/p>\n
In the meantime Verstappen has scored 119 points. <\/p>\n
His lack of contribution means that over the last three races Sauber has outscored Red Bull Racing 20-19 \u2014 an opportunistic comparison but a nonetheless telling one.<\/p>\n
Tsunoda is ahead of only Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and the scoreless Franco Colapinto and Jack Doohan in the championship. In a cruel irony, even Liam Lawson, the man he replaced and who took his seat at Racing Bulls, is two points ahead of him on the title table.<\/p>\n
The situation is untenable.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s untenable for Red Bull Racing, not for Tsunoda.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve seen this movie too many times to pin the blame on the driver.<\/p>\n
As must now be concluded to have been the case with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio P\u00e9rez and Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing is not a victim of poor driver selection for having elevated Tsunoda.<\/p>\n
Tsunoda is the victim of a team that\u2019s allowed itself to become incapable of fielding more than one driver.<\/p>\n
What would happen if that one driver were to leave doesn\u2019t bear thinking about in Milton Keynes.<\/p>\n
But fervent speculation over Verstappen\u2019s future is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.<\/p>\n
‘F***ing idiots’ – Max fumes after crash | 01:09<\/p>\n
WOLFF ADMITS TO VERSTAPPEN \u2018CONVERSATIONS\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n
Rare is there smoke without fire in Formula 1, and George Russell proved that adage true in Spielberg at the weekend.<\/p>\n
Russell\u2019s own future at Mercedes has been the subject of increasing speculation in recent weeks. The Englishman is out of contract this year, but with so few alternative options for both team and driver, there was no reason to expect anything other than a quick and easy renewal.<\/p>\n
But instead the process has been long and drawn out.<\/p>\n
Both Russell and team boss Toto Wolff have previously insisted there\u2019s no rush given the lack of external pressure on the decision, but evidently getting tired of waiting, the Briton has spoken out.<\/p>\n
\u201cToto\u2019s made it clear to me that he thinks how I\u2019m performing this year is as good as anybody,\u201d he said. \u201cI think there\u2019s only one driver that you can debate in terms of performance \u2014 and these are his words, these are not my words. That\u2019s why I have no concern about the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there are two seats to every team, and I guess he needs to think who those two drivers are going to be for those two seats. I guess that\u2019s what the delay is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russell\u2019s commentary ensured Wolff\u2019s weekend was dominated by questions about his interest in Verstappen, with the Austrian boss batting them away with variable success.<\/p>\n
Asked whether Verstappen had a deadline to decide on joining Mercedes, Wolff didn\u2019t deny having had conversations with the Dutchman, arguing only that they weren\u2019t so advanced yet. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou make it sound like we have been asking, \u2018When do you want to join and what are the terms?\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s not how it is and not how it works.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to have the conversations behind closed doors, not town halls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted that he was sounding out Verstappen\u2019s availability.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world, it is clear you\u2019re exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future,\u201d he told Sky Sports. \u201cAnd that could be a long time in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that has no effect on us putting a signature on George\u2019s contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wolff\u2019s interest in Verstappen isn\u2019t new. He originally bid to be the team that brought Verstappen to Formula 1 as a rookie but was beaten to his signature by Red Bull, which could offer him a seat on the grid sooner via the then Toro Rosso team.<\/p>\n
He renewed open courtship of the Dutchman early last season, when Red Bull Racing become publicly roiled by factional infighting that briefly had Verstappen threatening to walk out of the team.<\/p>\n
But this time Wolff appears to have put more meat on the bone. Whereas last year\u2019s ventures felt more speculative and opportunistic, this year the stakes are real. Russell\u2019s delayed contract is evidence. <\/p>\n
And Wolff\u2019s commentary about a long-term lunge for Verstappen isn\u2019t the neutraliser it might first appear.<\/p>\n
McLaren boys caught in early dogfight | 01:12<\/p>\n
COULD VERSTAPPEN REALLY SWITCH TEAMS?<\/b><\/p>\n
Verstappen is under contract until 2028, but his exit from Red Bull Racing would be facilitated by a performance clause in his paperwork. RBR team principal Christian Horner has admitted to its existence.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been variously speculated that the clause could be triggered if the four-time champion were outside the top three or four on the drivers title table after the Austrian Grand Prix or before the mid-season break.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s currently third and only nine points ahead of \u2014 ironically enough \u2014 Russell in fourth.<\/p>\n
But just because the clause is available to him doesn\u2019t mean he must use it.<\/p>\n
Arguably this season would be the worst time to exercise such a right.<\/p>\n
No-one can be certain about which team will get next year\u2019s rule changes right. Even gut feeling is of limited value given the all-new chassis and engine rules mean there will be no point of reference until pre-season testing in January.<\/p>\n
Speculation that Red Bull\u2019s debut in-house power unit is behind the curve is only that \u2014 as are rumours that Mercedes is poised to once again dominate the engine game.<\/p>\n
Assuming Verstappen\u2019s escape clause in the same terms exists next season, it might make more sense to continue at Red Bull Racing into the new year, appraise the lay of the land and then consider whether a move is necessary.<\/p>\n
Hence why Russell\u2019s contract negotiations could be delayed without him necessarily being at risk for 2026.<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s clear to Wolff that Mercedes would be Verstappen\u2019s first preference if he were to leave Red Bull Racing next season, Russell could be re-signed with the necessary clauses that would ensure flexibility for the team to make a change in the near future.<\/p>\n
Piastri lockup nearly takes out Norris! | 00:30<\/p>\n
\u2018THEY DIDN\u2019T SUDDENLY BECOME IDIOTS\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n
But the effect for Red Bull Racing is the same. Lose Verstappen today, tomorrow, next season or the season after, it\u2019s still at risk of losing him.<\/p>\n
Even if the Dutchman decides to see out his contract, he could still walk away at the end of 2028.<\/p>\n
Eventually he will leave Red Bull Racing.<\/p>\n
We got a glimpse in Austria of what that means for the team\u2019s competitiveness \u2014 a nominally frontrunning team fighting with the backmarkers.<\/p>\n
The two problems are linked. If the team can build a more agreeable car, Verstappen would be less likely to leave.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s likely no one clear explanation for the alarming decline in form from the team that set new records for domination only two years ago and that powered Verstappen to an easy fourth title last season.<\/p>\n
But it was interesting to hear P\u00e9rez say the departure of key personnel, in particular legendary designer Adrian Newey, triggered the team\u2019s downfall.<\/p>\n