Verstappen: I am just "taking part" in this world championship

Verstappen would be excused for showing a hint of submission after qualifying seventh for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix on a day when the gap to Oscar Piastri's pole was over half a second.

While the Dutchman drove the wheels off his RB21 in Japan, taking pole and the race win, he was unable to repeat such a feat in Bahrain, which was a harsh reality check.

"McLaren are not my rivals right now," Verstappen told the media after qualifying. "I am just taking part in this world championship."

And when quizzed whether he was hinting at his inability to fight for the F1 title in 2025, his response was: "No, I don't.

"If you look at the gap to McLaren, I'm not surprised," he went on. "I already told the team during the winter test here that the gap is half a second, and that proves to be the case, so I was right in that respect. If you look at the entire season, I don't think we ever really had a chance.

"If others make mistakes, like in Suzuka qualifying, then we can be ahead. In Suzuka, passing was impossible, but that's not always the case," he lamented.

Red Bull have made many changes to their RB21 in Bahrain but could never find the silver bullet, Verstappen added: "We have tried everything we could on the car and nothing works, so that's not the issue.

"If I had to do qualifying again, then I have no idea what else we could have changed. We tried everything that makes sense at this track."

As for the race, which he starts right behind Lando Norris, who was a miserable sixth in the other McLaren, Verstappen said: "Lando [Norris] normally just drives to the front with the speed they have.

"Of course, there's an Alpine [of Pierre Gasly] that could drop back, but other than that, it will be tough to move up because our pace is all similar.

"I will do my best, but I don't know if it'll be enough for a podium or sixth," he concluded.

(Quotes from Motorsport.com)