- Verstappen faces major RB22 issues at the start of the Chinese Sprint.
- Dutchman gives a brutal review of car issues after finishing 9th in Sprint.
- Late Red Bull changes fail to fix key performance problems.
Max Verstappen experienced one of the most painful starts of his career as his RB22 continues to face major issues, including tyre degradation and poor balance. After a frustrating sprint qualifying session, which placed him 8th on the grid, the car problems recurred as he lost several positions at lights out, even as the cars behind him pulled away. To be honest, the Red Bull cars, which looked solid during the Bahrain pre-season testing, now just appear to have dropped to midfield level.
Since the season started, Verstappen has been pretty vocal about how the car is just “undrivable” for him, as similar issues persisted even during the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia. There were significant complaints, including a lack of grip and pace, battery deployment issues, and power unit failure.
This has been a bothersome issue for the Dutchman amid his consistent criticism of the modern-day F1 regulations, even describing them as “Formula E on Steroids.” He has also complained earlier about how the cars have now just become a battery management exercise compared to the old cars, which allowed him to go flat out.
Verstappen gives brutal review on Red Bull issues
Despite the painful issues, Verstappen was able to pull the car from 15th to 9th position by the end of the Sprint. However, it still wasn’t sufficient, as he didn’t end up with points. He could have earned a point or two, but he ran out of time, as by the last lap, he could only make it to a position below where he started. Even his teammate, Isack Hadjar, didn’t end up in a good position on the grid, as he finished 15th after starting in 10th.
During a conversation with Sky Sports, the Dutchman listed the issues they need to resolve to get a competitive car on track. Expressing his disappointment with the car, he said, “I have not a lot of words at the moment, to be honest. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. So yeah, the start is, of course, one problem that we have to fix. But after that, the balance is all over the place. Probably the highest degradation of everyone out there, which is just uncontrollable, and some other bits on the car that we’re not, I would say, well prepared for.” He admitted that they really need to get their “stuff together.”
Red Bull changes for the Chinese Sprint Race
Following a bad qualifying session, Red Bull brought a few changes to the car before the Sprint race under parc fermé. They swapped the floor keel panel, the RHS rear brake duct seal, and the LHS chassis protection bellow, per GP Blog.
Despite the late tweaking, the car didn’t live up to expectations, sparking massive disappointment for the team and drivers alike. Currently, Verstappen stands 6th in the drivers’ standings, below the current reigning world champion, Lando Norris. Moreover, Red Bull is currently 4th in the Constructors’ fight. It will be interesting to see whether Red Bull steps up for the races ahead and gives Verstappen the car he needs to bring in those points, or if devoted fans continue to witness a struggling season.
