Verstappen doubtful of Chinese Grand Prix victory despite changes
Max Verstappen has expressed doubts about his chances of winning the Chinese Grand Prix, admitting it will be "quite tricky" to challenge from fourth on the grid. The Red Bull driver will start behind first-time pole sitter Oscar Piastri (McLaren), George Russell (Mercedes), and Lando Norris (McLaren).
Despite finishing third in the morning's Sprint race, Verstappen struggled with heavy tire degradation. Changes made to counter this issue showed minimal improvement, with his pace only slightly better than in Sprint Qualifying. His lap time of 1:30.817 was a mere 0.05s faster than the previous day's session.
“Yeah, we made some changes and I think they were potentially positive for tomorrow,” Verstappen explained. “But if it is going to be enough to actually put up a fight to the cars ahead, I think it will be quite tricky.”
Red Bull faces a strategic disadvantage, with only Verstappen in the top eight, while McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari each have two drivers in strong positions. Liam Lawson, Verstappen's teammate, was the slowest driver in Qualifying, struggling to keep the RB21 stable on the Pirelli tires.
Reflecting on the challenges, Verstappen said, “[There was] just no real consistent grip out there and that makes it difficult to just get your references set. I felt good. I think the lap was nice but unfortunately, it was not quick enough.”
All eyes will be on whether Verstappen can overcome these obstacles and make his way to the podium in Shanghai.
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