Verstappen Survival: Every Lap A Fight After Tough Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying

Add as a preferred source on Google

Max Verstappen’s difficult Formula One season continues as the four-time champion qualifies only eighth for the Chinese Grand Prix, with 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli taking pole and becoming the youngest pole-sitter, while Verstappen describes every lap as survival and also struggles in the earlier Sprint, where a poor start drops Verstappen out of the points.

Verstappen again voices concern over the new regulations and how they affect Red Bull’s handling. Speaking after qualifying, Verstappen delivers a blunt assessment of the car’s behaviour across his laps and tyres, outlining how little confidence Verstappen currently has in the package.

"[The car was] incredibly tough to drive. There's no balance, Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. I cannot lean on the car. Every lap is a fight. It's just very difficult. Every time I did another lap on a tyre set, it felt awful. I honestly think it will be quite tough [on Sunday]. In the past, sometimes we threw it [the car] upside down and it worked. Now, nothing works. It's just not nice. I cannot push. Every lap is survival for me. We are probably fighting a bit with Pierre [Gasly, who qualified seventh]. But, that's it. Not more in it."

Qualifying leaves Verstappen behind Pierre Gasly, who lines up seventh on the grid, while Antonelli starts from first place after a standout performance. With Verstappen expecting "quite tough" race conditions, the realistic target appears to be a fight with Gasly, rather than challenging the front, as Verstappen continues to lack trust in the Red Bull.

The problems for Verstappen start earlier during the 19-lap Chinese Grand Prix Sprint, when a poor launch costs seven places on the opening lap and leaves Verstappen ninth at the flag, outside the points, with tyre wear and balance problems adding to Red Bull’s concerns over long-run performance.

"I have not a lot of words at the moment. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong, said Verstappen. The start is one problem we have to fix. After that, the balance is all over the place. Probably the highest degradation of everyone out there, which is uncontrollable, plus some other bits on the car that were not well prepared. We need to get our stuff together."

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend continues a troubled run for Verstappen, who spun out of qualifying in Australia and then salvaged sixth place in the race, while also criticising Formula One’s current direction since this season’s regulation changes, which Verstappen believes have made the Red Bull harder to drive.

With the Chinese Grand Prix set to highlight Red Bull’s weaknesses over race distance, Verstappen expects another demanding outing, aiming mainly to stay ahead of direct rivals such as Gasly while the team searches for balance, grip and better preparation to stabilise a campaign that has started below expectations.