Max Verstappen frustrated after qualifying in China: “A disaster—the car is incredibly difficult to drive”

For Max Verstappen, this Chinese Grand Prix weekend has so far felt like an unusual challenge: surviving a temperamental car rather than dominating the competition.

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend is turning into a headache for Max Verstappen. Eighth in qualifying in Shanghai, the four-time world champion made no secret of his frustration with the behavior of his Red Bull, which he describes as unpredictable and extremely difficult to handle. Despite several setup changes, the Dutchman says he has seen no improvement.

And judging by his comments after the session, optimism is clearly not the prevailing mood in the Red Bull garage. An Unmanageable RB22 for Verstappen Saturday had already gotten off to a bad start for Verstappen with a 9th-place finish in the Sprint, largely due to a botched start. Qualifying didn't really help turn things around. When assessing his session, the Red Bull driver wasn't looking for excuses. “I don't even know what to say—the car is so difficult to drive and unpredictable. I did my lap, but it's not what I like. There's no balance and no grip.” The assessment is brutal. For Verstappen, the problem isn't just raw performance, but above all the RB22's total lack of stability.

“I have no balance, so we can't even use lap-to-lap comparisons as a reference. Everything is completely unstable and it's incredibly difficult to drive. It's not good.” Changes made… for nothing
Red Bull did, however, try to respond between the Sprint and qualifying. Several adjustments were made to the car in the hope of finding a performance window. But according to Verstappen, these changes made absolutely no difference. “We changed the whole car compared to the Sprint and it makes no difference.”

A statement that sums up the current situation well: Red Bull is still searching for the key to understanding its car. The Dutchman makes no secret of his resignation. “For me, the whole weekend has been a disaster.” Behind the frontrunners… and behind Gasly
Seeing Red Bull behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren comes as no surprise at the start of the 2026 season. However, the fact that Pierre Gasly is ahead of Verstappen on the grid is certainly noteworthy. The Frenchman will start 7th, just ahead of the No. 1 Red Bull.

A situation that perfectly illustrates the Austrian team's current struggles. Verstappen, for his part, already seems realistic about his chances. “We're where we need to be. And that's probably also where we'll be battling tomorrow in the race.”

An unusually fatalistic statement for a driver accustomed to fighting for pole position. Isack Hadjar also struggling In the other Red Bull, Isack Hadjar didn't fare much better. The Frenchman will start 9th on the grid, just one-tenth of a second behind his teammate.

He, too, points to a lack of balance. “Honestly, I have no regrets. I did everything I could and put in a good lap, but I'm not very satisfied with the car's balance.”

The goal is now clear: to understand. “We're a long way off the front, so we're trying things. It's not really working right now, but at least we're trying to understand.” In Shanghai, Red Bull no longer seems to be competing at the front… but rather trying to get its car back on track.