Red Bull deliver stark verdict on 'substantial' gap to Ferrari and Mercedes

The Frenchman believes the gap Red Bull must close to the current on-track benchmarks - the W17 and the SF26 - is “substantial”, adding that a proper development race will be needed to bridge the deficit.

Speaking to GPblog after the race, Verstappen addressed the reasons behind Red Bull’s lack of pace in Shanghai, particularly after the team had shown more encouraging signs during pre-season testing and secured a solid - albeit slightly underwhelming - result in Melbourne.

The Dutchman admitted he was not surprised by the performance gap to the front-running teams, explaining that he had never expected Red Bull to be truly competitive with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari at this stage. However, he acknowledged that the situation in China proved especially difficult for the team.

He was also questioned about Toto Wolff’s comments earlier in the season, when the Mercedes boss described the Bahrain performance as an early benchmark for the field. Verstappen largely brushed aside the suggestion, reiterating that Red Bull’s current gap to teams such as Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren did not come as a surprise to him.