Red Bull’s team principal, Laurent Mekies, issued an apology to Max Verstappen after the Dutch driver described their performance during Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix as a “disaster.”
Both Verstappen and his teammate Isack Hadjar barely made it into SQ3 on Friday, qualifying eighth and tenth for Saturday’s Sprint at 3 am UK time, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
More concerning was Verstappen’s 1.734-second deficit to Sprint pole-sitter George Russell, who led a Mercedes one-two finish, with his teammate Kimi Antonelli following him. The track’s design puts significant pressure on an F1 car’s versatility.
Mekies communicated to Verstappen over the radio, “Sorry, Max. It’s been tough, but we have a lot to learn. The weekend is long; let’s aim for improvement.”
Afterward, Verstappen shared his thoughts with Sky Sports F1 reporter Rachel Brookes, stating, “The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise. We lacked grip, which is our main issue – no grip, no balance. We’re losing significant time in the corners, which triggers additional problems, but the primary issue is our cornering ability.”
Expert Opinions on Verstappen’s Performance
Sky Sports F1’s Bernie Collins noted, “Max expressed frustration throughout the session, particularly about downshifts, which he’s mentioned before. The car appears to have several fundamental issues. Even during his out lap in SQ3, he asked if there was anything that could be done for improvement and was told ‘no.’ It seems there aren’t any quick fixes available.”
Sky Sports F1’s Jacques Villeneuve commented, “Last year, Verstappen had a car capable of competing, but the gap seems much larger now. A stable car is crucial when harvesting energy. Any loss of control affects energy management, which might be contributing to his frustrations.”
