Max Verstappen pushes limits while Red Bull dissect early race struggles in Shanghai, aiming to bounce back stronger at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Red Bull Racing may not have missed a golden opportunity to win today’s Chinese Grand Prix — but they certainly didn’t have an easy ride either.
After finishing just off the podium in fourth place, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner both admitted the team might have been a bit too cautious during the first stint on medium tyres.
A Race of Two Halves
“It was definitely a race of two parts for Max,” said Horner. “He had a fantastic sprint weekend here in Shanghai, but today we lacked straight-line speed — Ferrari was clearly quicker on the straights.”
“Max delivered when it counted though. His overtake on Charles [Leclerc] was brilliant, and P4 gives us some solid points.”
What Went Wrong Early On?
The team believes the conservative approach at the start cost them time.
“We lost everything in that first stint,” Horner explained. “When Max came into the pits, he was 18 seconds behind Oscar [Piastri], and by the end of the race, he’d closed it to 16. That shows we were competitive on the hard tyres. Maybe we overcompensated, thinking too much about the tyre wear we saw yesterday.”
“There’s still work to do. Max drove a strong race, but we need more pace — it makes everything easier when you’ve got the speed.”
Eyes on 2025 or 2026? Not So Fast.
Despite some early-season struggles, Horner is adamant: Red Bull isn’t shifting focus away from the present.
“This is only the second race of the season — we’re just eight points off the lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Everything is still wide open.”
“Last year showed us it’s not about how you start — it’s how you finish.”
Verstappen All-In with His Team
Horner praised Verstappen’s mindset and the way he’s leading from within.
“Max is working harder than ever. He’s more connected with his engineering group than he’s ever been. He’s enjoying the process, not stressing out — he’s just focused on finding solutions.”
“He’s constantly giving feedback: ‘What if we try this? Here’s what I’m feeling in the car. This is where I need lap time.’ That’s how we improve — as a team.”
Looking Ahead
“We’ve learned a lot from today,” Horner concluded. “We lost too much time early on and need to fully understand where the limits are. The second half of the race was strong, but the damage was done.”
“We’ve still collected 12 valuable points and stayed in the fight over these first two races. Now the focus shifts to Japan — and doing better there.”
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Horner Backs Verstappen as Red Bull Vows Stronger Comeback Drive Horner Backs Verstappen as Red Bull Vows Stronger Comeback Drive
