Red Bull backed to 'turn around' calamitous fortunes by F1 champion

Sebastian Vettel believes it is possible for Red Bull to turn its F1 season around after a disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix.

As was the case over the final 18 rounds of last year, the six-times constructors' champion looks a shadow of its former self this term, something Max Verstappen's sublime victory at Suzuka earlier this month cannot mask.

Plagued by the idiosyncrasies of the difficult RB21 and the inability of seemingly any second driver in its programme to come close to matching the on-track performance of Verstappen, the Milton Keynes squad continues to falter, as it has done over the past 11 months.

However, the problems with its car reached an apex at the Bahrain International Circuit, leaving the Dutchman powerless to compete at the sharp end.

Having qualified only seventh, the 27-year-old was unable to make much progress in the race, crossing the line a distant sixth.

Nonetheless, Vettel maintains his former team can turn its wayward form around, using its sudden demise last year as proof of how quickly things in F1 can change.

"Obviously, Red Bull isn’t very strong now, but if you just go back one year, Red Bull started off very strong and wasn’t that strong at the end and still won [the drivers’ title]," the German told Reuters.

"So, I think, of course it can change. It’s not that easy to fix, but generally I think they know what they are doing. It is very likely or very possible that Red Bull can turn it around."

'Intense and rough' partnerships

Despite Verstappen managing to hold on to claim his fourth F1 drivers' title last term, matching Vettel's record with Red Bull in the process, it will be even more difficult to achieve this time around.

In pursuit of a record-equalling fifth-consecutive championship, to match Michael Schumacher's run with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004, the 64-time grand prix winner cannot lean about a sizeable points advantage, as he could last campaign.

Therefore, the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lead the way, even though many anticipate the McLaren team-mates could come to blows eventually, something that could open the door for Verstappen in the title hunt.

Vettel is well versed in tense intra-team relations, having endured a strained relationship with his Red Bull team-mate, Mark Webber.

The Australian coincidentally manages Piastri, but the 37-year-old cannot see the papaya pair's partnership falling prey to the same pitfalls his did with Webber.

"I would still put Lando as an indirect favourite, but time will tell," Vettel said of the championship picture and how McLaren can manage its two drivers after Piastri's crushing victory in Sakhir.

"Naturally people always look for entertainment, which is fine and it’s part of the sport, but I don’t see those two having a really intense and rough partnership. I think they’ll get along and I think Andrea [Stella] also is in a position to manage them well.

"I think the rivalries nowadays are different. I think we had respect and I think this generation has respect for each other.

"But I think they have progressed and they manage it better than us to differentiate what’s happening on track and what’s happening off track."