Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has issued a crushing verdict for the team that it "got slower everywhere", with Max Verstappen's Q1 exit having been a major blow for his title chances.
For the first time since 2006, Red Bull saw both of its cars exit qualifying in the opening part in the São Paulo Grand Prix, something which last happened in 2006.
Verstappen could only salvage 16th on the grid, while Yuki Tsunoda fared even worse and qualified in 19th.
Following Verstappen finishing the Sprint race in fourth, Red Bull opted to make several changes, which ended up making the four-time world champion's RB21 even slower.
"It went badly wrong," Marko told Sky DE. "We got slower everywhere. The track got faster and we lost time in all sectors.
"There was actually even less grip. Why? That's what we have to find out now. But the harm has been done. Now we'll see what we can still make of it. But it doesn't look good."
With Verstappen having fallen 39 points behind Lando Norris in standings after the sprint and now starting the grand prix from towards the back, the Dutchman's title chances look in serious trouble.
Red Bull has struggled with its car across the weekend in São Paulo, while it also found the Mexico City GP difficult, despite Verstappen rescuing a podium finish.
Asked what has caused Red Bull's difficulties in Mexico and Brazil, Marko explained: "We brought new parts or partially new parts in Mexico, which did not bring the hoped-for success.
"On that basis we thought we would find the right direction, but that has not been the case now either."
"So we have to look at where we have taken the wrong turn. Because this backlog... Especially the fact that we lost time in sectors one and three, while the deficit in sector two remained the same.
"That means we didn't gain anything there, but with the others we clearly lost."
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