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PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL – APRIL 30: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing walks in the Paddock with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet before practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Portugal at Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve on April 30, 2021 in Portimao, Portugal. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL – APRIL 30: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing walks in the Paddock with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet before practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Portugal at Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve on April 30, 2021 in Portimao, Portugal. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen won the Formula One World Championship in 2021 in Abu Dhabi. He will look to carry the momentum and win his second title. However, he seems to have suffered a blow ahead of the Bahrain testing.
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Max Verstappen did not have the best testing at Barcelona as he finished below both the Mercedes drivers. And he has caught a severe otitis infection according to his partner, Kelly Piquet.
Not the best scenario for Max Verstappen
As the Bahrain testing closes in, the drivers will look to improve their timesheet from the testing in Barcelona. The Formula One season starts just one week after the Bahrain testing. And the teams will look to gain an advantage over their rivals ahead of the new season.
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Formula One F1 – Pre-Season Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – February 24, 2022 Red Bull’s Sergio Perez during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea
Max Verstappen’s partner, Kelly Piquet, has revealed on social media that the Dutch driver is suffering from a severe Otitis infection. She posted a story on Instagram of herself and Verstappen captioned “Back from taking this sick puppy from the doctor.”
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The fans were curious about what happened to the reigning World Champion. And Kelly Piquet followed up with another Instagram story which read, “Any tips for healing severe Otitis asap (other than antibiotics) are welcome.”
Red Bull will hope the 24-year-old’s ear infection can be cured before the Bahrain race, which is scheduled on the 18th of March.
Important week for Red Bull
Red Bull endured a tough start in Barcelona as both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished 1-2 ahead of Red Bull’s drivers. However, experts believe that the Austrian-based team have not shown its full pace yet.
After reports suggested Red Bull are half a second behind Mercedes, Red Bull’s advisor, Helmut Marko insisted the Silver Arrows were not ahead of them. He said, “We’re not half a second behind. We drove on hard tyres, while Mercedes drove on two compounds softer.”
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NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 31: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing talks with Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko in the garage during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 31, 2020 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images,)
He feels that the cars are comparatively heavy but much faster. And the 78-year-old is also excited to see how the new regulations pan out. Helmut Marko stated that Verstappen feels comfortable in the car, and believes that the car is ready to compete for the Championship.
The Bahrain testing will be an important week for the four-time Constructors’ Champions. With the first race week of the season nearing, and Verstappen suffering a severe infection, things are not perfect in the Red Bull camp.
As Formula One enters a new era, can Red Bull stop Mercedes’ domination? We will have to wait and see.
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