Max Verstappen struggles in Shanghai qualifying
Max Verstappen experienced a challenging qualifying session at the Shanghai International Circuit, finishing eighth on the grid for the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix, reports BritPanorama.
The Dutch driver trailed pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli by more than a second, as Mercedes secured both front-row positions, demonstrating a clear performance advantage.
This disappointing result capped a difficult weekend for Verstappen, who had arrived in China aiming to build on his recent recovery to sixth place at the Australian Grand Prix. “We are where we should be, and that’s probably where we will be racing tomorrow,” he remarked with noticeable frustration.
Verstappen’s woes began early, as he also struggled during Saturday’s sprint race, where he found himself starting from eighth and quickly fell to fourteenth after a safety car caused the field to pit. Despite fighting back, he finished a distant ninth, notably behind fellow racer Liam Lawson.
The weekend’s outcome marked the first time in Verstappen’s career that he left a sprint race without scoring points. Following the qualifying session, he expressed deep dissatisfaction with his RB22, describing it as “completely undriveable” and likening each lap to “survival.”
Verstappen further criticized the team’s efforts to rectify the car’s handling issues, stating, “We changed a lot on the car and it made zero difference. It’s incredibly tough to drive. There’s no balance; I cannot lean on the car, every lap is a fight.” He described the overall driving experience as frustrating, revealing he feels unable to harness the car’s potential: “I cannot push because the car doesn’t let me.”
This season has seen Red Bull transition to their own power unit, developed in collaboration with Ford, ending a successful partnership with Honda. While Verstappen acknowledged the new engine’s role in his difficulties, he emphasized that several factors were affecting performance. He also voiced strong criticisms regarding the new technical regulations introduced recently.
As the weekend progresses, Verstappen remains apprehensive about the race ahead. “It’s not going to be a fun race,” he concluded bluntly, leaving little hope for a turnaround in performance in the near future.
