Verstappen draws a painful conclusion after Chinese Grand Prix debacle

Clearly annoyed, Verstappen strides into the media pen. As usual, Verstappen starts with Viaplay, but his limited patience is immediately apparent. When the conversation can’t start right away, he already wants to move on to another broadcaster. But he is stopped: Viaplay is live.

Interviews with broadcasters are clearly not long. Whereas Verstappen is normally quite talkative and arrives at the written media among the last, he reaches the written press within minutes this time. The irritation hasn’t left his system there either.

“I don’t know,” Verstappen initially says when GPblog asks him whether Red Bull has taken a step back compared to Melbourne. “I mean, maybe yes, on that track it was a little bit better, but it was also off. We know that but at least now that the balance is really, really disconnected.”

What’s the reason Red Bull suddenly isn’t in the fight anymore? “A little bit from the engine side, but that's not probably the biggest (issue). We lose so much with the car at the moment around here. Plus also I cannot push at all because the car doesn't let me. So that's why also I don't really feel in control of the car. You cannot…, I mean it's just really not how it should be.”

Verstappen hasn’t been enjoying himself for a while now: “From lap one of this new regulation I've not enjoyed this car for sure."

What exactly is the problem? “Everything at the moment, oversteer and understeer.”

In Australia, Isack Hadjar started from third place, and Verstappen drove from the back of the grid to just finish behind Lando Norris' McLaren. But in China, the third or fourth best team in Melbourne was outqualified by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, and Oliver Bearman came frighteningly close as well. “They probably took a little step forward, those teams, and we took a step back I guess.”

Gasly confirms that as well. Answering GPblog's question after qualifying, he says: “Looking at the Red Bull, I'm a bit confused by their pace because when you see them on the second row in Melbourne, they were basically fighting with McLaren. We don't think we're quite there yet. I think they just seem to have dropped a tiny bit this weekend. We made a step forward.”

According to Verstappen, there isn’t much more in it for Sunday than seventh or eighth place. It’s the harsh reality Red Bull has found itself in. After fighting for the title every year since 2021, there is now truly a major setback. It’s up to Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Ford to make quick progress.