Max Verstappen suffered a setback in his quest for pole position, marking the first time this year.
The Dutch driver, representing Red Bull, was unable to display his usual dominant performance in qualifying Sprint due to rain during the session. As a result, Verstappen will start in fourth place in tomorrow’s Sprint race. This led the 26-year-old driver to address the challenges faced by his team at the Shanghai circuit.
Verstappen had previously expressed concerns about the suitability of the Sprint weekend in China, stating that it was not the best idea. The rain made things worse, causing the recently repainted track to become extremely slippery and affecting the cars’ grip.
The reigning world champion struggled to properly warm up the tires and found it extremely difficult to keep the car on track. He compared driving on the repainted track to “driving on ice.” Despite his expertise in wet conditions, Verstappen found it challenging to control his car. Consequently, he believes that starting in fourth place is deserved for his team, acknowledging that the RB20 car did not perform as well in the wet compared to dry conditions.
Verstappen’s main competitor, Ferrari, has been consistently close to Red Bull since the beginning of 2024. The Italian team even secured a victory during the recent Australian weekend, becoming the first non-Red Bull driver to do so. This fueled their hopes of closing the gap with the dominant Red Bull in Formula 1.
The Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, emphasized the fierce competition between his team and Red Bull in most races. He believes that in order for Ferrari to win races, they need to be at the top of their game. Leclerc also noted that Ferrari has made significant progress compared to the previous season, bringing them closer to Red Bull. Therefore, if Red Bull continues to face issues, Ferrari may challenge them for victory in the Chinese Grand Prix. However, Leclerc’s lack of recent experience on the Shanghai circuit adds an element of uncertainty.
Unlike Ferrari, which did not introduce major updates to their SF-24 car for the Chinese GP, Leclerc had an unlucky round during the Sprint qualifying session. Additionally, he has been overshadowed by his teammate Carlos Sainz since the beginning of the 2024 season. As a result, the Chinese GP presents an opportunity for Leclerc to redeem himself and provide fierce competition for Max Verstappen and other drivers.
