Opinion | Red Bull will put the disaster weekend in Bahrain behind them

The first race weekend of the 2022 season ended in a nightmare for Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both retired due to engine problems. Does this mean Red Bull has a long-term problem, or was it just a one-off?

Be that as it may, the Bahrain Grand Prix is one for Red Bull Racing to quickly forget. What is important for the rest of the season is whether the problems are of a recurring nature.

That could indicate a reliability problem, but according to Red Bull chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, the team has already found the cause. It would have to do with the fuel pump, a standard part supplied by the FIA.

At Mercedes, Red Bull's double elimination caused a blissful feeling, the team itself expressed on social media. Whether the 2021 rivals can get used to that, however, is unlikely. If the problem indeed lies where Red Bull thinks it does, the team shouldn't have to run into it in Saudi Arabia.