Issues that could derail Verstappen's quest for a fifth straight title

Max Verstappen (right) slipped to third in the drivers' standings, eight points behind McLaren's leader Lando Norris, after trailing in sixth, over half a minute behind Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri, in Bahrain.

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The state of play > Max Verstappen (right) slipped to third in the drivers' standings, eight points behind McLaren's leader Lando Norris, after trailing in sixth, over half a minute behind Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri, in Bahrain.

> He has accounted for all bar two of the team's tally in the constructors' championship where they are lagging a massive 80 points behind runaway leaders McLaren after just four races.

Crisis talks > As McLaren celebrated their third win from four in Sakhir, Red Bull convened a "crisis" meeting involving their top brass.

> Team principal Christian Horner, influential advisor Helmut Marko, technical director Pierre Wache, and chief engineer Paul Monaghan met to mull over the team's plight.

> Horner, in a post-race media encounter in Red Bull's hospitality tent, had offered a blunt appraisal of where they were at.

> "This race has exposed some pitfalls that are very clear that we need to get on top of very quickly.