Verstappen gets candid on Red Bull’s woes with ceiling behind Alpine verdict

The four-time world champion, who had qualified 11th at Suzuka, managed only to climb three positions, largely held up behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine for much of the race.

When asked about his overall performance in Japan, Verstappen spoke with little optimism, noting that at least his start had gone well. He also detailed the struggles he faced with overtaking and maintaining track position throughout the race.

“I mean, at least my start was a little bit better. I didn't lose too many positions, and then, yeah, I think I got past a few cars. And then, of course, at one point, you hit a ceiling. I think with Pierre we were very closely matched, maybe on pure pace or a tiny bit faster, but that's easy to say now. It was just very hard to pass,” Verstappen said.

“I think I did try to maximise with all the difficulties I had in the car, because what I had yesterday was also there today, so it made it incredibly tough. Yeah, I feel good in the car, to be honest,” he added.

Pressed on the scale of the work Red Bull still faces, particularly compared to Alpine’s pace, Verstappen was honest about the team’s current position and their path forward.

“I mean, it's not something negative compared to Alpine, because I think they're doing a good job. It's just for us, of course, this is not where we would like to be. But at the moment, I feel, of course, we're a bit more in that midfield battle than up at the front,” he concluded.

The Japanese Grand Prix marked the first race of the season where both Red Bull drivers completed the full distance. Last time out in China, a reliability issue meant Verstappen was forced to retire, while at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, teammate Hadjar suffered an engine failure.

Want to stay up to date with the latest events from the F1 paddock? GPblog’s Paddock Update is the place to be.

Follow and subscribe to our channels on Spotify and YouTube so you don’t miss a scoop as the actions and reactions continue across the Formula 1 scene.

Check out the latest episode of our Paddock Update here 👇