Red Bull’s weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix really was the stuff of nightmares.

With Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen starting from fifth and 15th on the grid respectively, they were on the back foot even before lights out at the second race of the season.

The task at hand went from challenging to impossible, though, as both drivers were forced to retire within the opening two laps.

Verstappen suffered a puncture to his left rear tyre after trying to overtake Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton seconds into the race, while Ricciardo was towed a lap later due to a gearbox failure.

However, the Dutchman – who managed to reel in much of the field with a blistering start launch from the eighth row – was perhaps was lucky to get on the track having experienced a similar issue to his teammate.


"I think I had the same problem during testing,” Verstappen said, per the Express.

"After that it didn't return, but unfortunately this time in the race it did.

"I think overall it's reasonably OK. The situation is better than last year, that's for sure."

To top off the 20-year-old’s struggles in the Middle East, Hamilton called him a “d***head” in the drivers lounge after the race, referencing the Red Bull driver’s failed attempt to overtake on the first lap.

The Brit has every right to feel displeased with his car being clipped, and his foul-mouthed reaction to the incident has at last prompted a response from Verstappen.

"He [Lewis Hamilton] is just out of the car there," the youngster told Dutch TV show Peptalk on Monday.

"Then those things can happen.

“If you are just out of the car, you are still full of adrenaline.

“I was really close behind and there was a chance to overtake, so I thought it was a good opportunity.

"Our car was great. Then I'm not going to stay behind him.

"I knew we had a very good car for the race, so I knew we would be able to fight them.”

Verstappen is no stranger to receiving criticism for his aggressive driving, with some even suggesting his potential will go unfulfilled as a result.

But given his age, it’s surely only a matter of time before maturity irons out the flaws in his style.