Max Verstappen described Friday’s f1 quali session in Shanghai as a “disaster pace-wise” after ending Sprint Qualifying in eighth, leaving Red Bull confronted with balance and grip problems and uncertain what fixes are possible for the rest of the weekend.
F1 Quali: Verstappen Calls Friday ‘Disaster’
Verstappen said the team suffered from a fundamental lack of grip and balance, which he blamed for large time losses in the corners. “The whole day has been a disaster pace-wise, ” he said, adding that the team was “losing massive amounts of time in the corners” and that “the cornering is completely out. ” He also warned that the initial shortcomings were triggering secondary problems with the car’s behaviour.
When asked whether changes would be made for Saturday’s sessions and the race, Verstappen said the team would examine options but that he did not yet know what could be done: “We’ll have a look. I don’t know at the moment what we can do, but yeah, we’ll see. “
Red Bull Response and Hadjar’s Issues
On the radio, Red Bull’s team principal apologised to Verstappen after the session, telling him: “Sorry, Max. Tough one, a lot to learn. The weekend is still long, we need to learn from [today]. Let’s try again. ” Both Red Bull drivers reached SQ3 but finished eighth and 10th for the Sprint.
Team-mate Isack Hadjar was 10th after suffering a battery deployment issue on his only SQ3 lap that reduced his straight-line speed on the long back straight. Hadjar said he did not yet know why he “lost half a second” on the straight and described his lap as good, while adding he did not expect the gap to widen as much as it did.
Numbers from the session underline the deficit: Verstappen was 1. 734 seconds behind Sprint pole-sitter George Russell, while Hadjar was 2. 203 seconds off the leading time. The team has acknowledged the need to address grip, balance and power characteristics before the next competitive runs, and will assess changes ahead of Saturday’s f1 quali session.
How the Field Looks and What Comes Next
Mercedes produced a strong one-two in Sprint Qualifying, with George Russell leading a team-mate, and their performance highlighted a growing gap at the front on a circuit that tests both downforce and straight-line speed. Other teams, including McLaren and Ferrari, were ahead of Red Bull on the timesheets, and one leading driver noted a particular deficit on the straights for a rival manufacturer, saying there is “a lot of work to do” to improve power.
The immediate consequence is a weekend in which Red Bull must diagnose both cornering instability and related secondary issues while competitors consolidate a clear pace advantage. With Sprint running and further qualifying and race sessions to come, the team faces limited opportunities to find a corrective direction before the Grand Prix.
For now, Verstappen’s assessment of a “disaster” day stands as the clearest confirmation that Red Bull’s set-up or balance is not matching the demands of this circuit, and the squad’s apology and promise to learn underline the urgency of changes to be made ahead of the remaining sessions.
