WATCH: Detective Max Verstappen catching Lando Norris's false start at the 2025 Bahrain GP

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen had a disastrous weekend at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix. He is under more pressure to defend his F1 world title, but his car, the RB21, doesn't have the pace to fight against the McLaren and Mercedes drivers. Frustration was at its peak for him when the Red Bull pit crew took 4.7 seconds to change his tyre. It is the pit stop light that didn't turn green as the tyres were changed. According to the rules, a driver should not move with the lights on red.

Max wasted more time at the pit stop, which allowed drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc to gain places. The hard tyres were also not the right choice, as they provided no pace at all. But Max Verstappen gave his best and finished in P6, starting a position below that. 

Also Read: F1 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Results: Oscar Piastri Wins for the first time at Sakhir

Watch: Detective Max Verstappen at work

One interesting thing happened during the start of the Sakhir GP. Max Verstappen was on his grid position before the race start, and during that time, his detective mind worked to find out Lando Norris was moving a few metres in front of his grid line. The Dutch driver immediately reported the incident on his radio, and it was later communicated with the FIA Stewards. 

Max: "Lando is over his grid box"

Lando Norris' front tire was visibly ahead of the grid box, which Max Verstappen noticed and reported over the radio.#f1 #formula1 #sportsinfoxtreme #LandoNorris #MaxVerstappen #Mclaren #RedBull #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/TOMqdMZabF

— SportsInfo Xtreme (@Sportsinfo22073) April 14, 2025

Because of that, Norris was given a 5-second penalty. It was an unintended error made by the British driver, as while engaging the first gear, his car moved forward and he couldn't move it to reverse. Verstappen is the reigning F1 champion, so he needs to be aware of the mistakes made by his rivals, which is a great quality for a champion.

At last, everything is an advantage in Formula 1, and with Oscar Piastri winning the race at Bahrain, it will be an even tighter contest between Max, Oscar and Lando. Russell is also nearing Max Verstappen in fourth place. With Red Bull losing more points in races, it could bring out the exit clause for Verstappen. He could be out of the team next year if Red Bull fails to give him a winning car. Many predict he will move to either Mercedes or Aston Martin.

Also Read: Ranking the top 10 drivers from the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Decline of Verstappen?