Four-time world champion eighth in qualifying
Failed to finish in the points in sprint race
Max Verstappen condemned his Red Bull’s performance as having reduced his efforts to a matter of “survival” in merely trying to complete a lap in Shanghai.
From the off the four-time champion had not been happy in the buildup to Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, dismissing his car on Friday as undriveable and saying: “We have never had anything this bad.”
Verstappen qualified only in eighth and finished the sprint out of the points in ninth on Saturday morning. There had been hope setup changes would reap some reward in qualifying but Verstappen was left even further adrift. He finished a full second slower than the pole-sitter, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
