Max Verstappens’ difficult start to the 2026 F1 season continued at the Chinese GP. After a struggling performance in both FP1 and the Sprint Race earlier that day, the Red Bull driver faced another battle and qualified 8th for tomorrow’s race.
A day of survival
Saturday proved to be a grueling day for the four-time World Champion. The afternoon qualifying session at the F1 2026 Chinese GP offered no relief, as he could only manage eighth on the grid.
Despite numerous setup changes, the car remained difficult to handle. Speaking in the print media zone after the session, Verstappen described every lap as a battle for survival. He noted that the car felt completely undrivable and lacked consistent reference points for his driving.
While the car showed a few flashes of hope during the Australian GP, the balance in Shanghai felt entirely disconnected.
“I mean we change a lot on the car, it makes zero difference, so the whole weekend we’ve been off, the car is completely undrivable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in, every lap is like survival.”
“I don’t know, I mean maybe yes, on that track it was a little bit better, also we know that, but at least now the balance is really, really disconnected.”
Verstappen struggles with the new regulations
The 2026 technical regulations have shifted the focus towards a 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and electrical energy.
Verstappen has been vocal about his dislike for these new regulations. He explained that the RB22 does not allow him to push to the limit and he does not feel in control of the car.
When asked about the car’s specific limitations at the 2026 F1 Chinese GP, the Dutchman highlighted a lack of grip that creates both oversteer and understeer.
He also clarified that while his battery was functioning correctly, the engine simply was not delivering enough power to compete with the other teams.
“Yeah, I hope we can fix it, otherwise I’m P20 again.”, Verstappen said.
“Plus also I cannot push at all, because the car doesn’t let me, so that’s why also I don’t really feel in control of the car, you cannot. I mean it’s just really not how it should be.”
“From lap one of this new regulation, I’ve not enjoyed this car.”
Verstappen’s concerns about the starting procedure at the 2026 F1 Chinese GP
Red Bull appears to have taken a step backwards while other teams have improved.
Verstappen struggled to off the line in today’s Sprint Race, citing the same issue Liam Lawson faced in Melbourne. The four-time World Champion expressed his concern and hopes the team can fix this issue before the main race to avoid another drop down the order.
Realistically, the team is fighting in the midfield rather than for podiums. Verstappen believes that unless the car’s fundamental issues are fixed, their performance will remain dependent on whether specific track layouts happen to compensate for the car’s difficulties.
“Yeah, that side is good, but I had basically the same problem as what Liam had, more or less.”
“They probably took a little step forward, those teams, and we took a step back, I guess.”
“Honestly, I didn’t even ask them yet. They said they would fix it, so I hope that that will be fixed. Helps a bit to stay in position, instead of starting a race in P20. Realistically, that’s anyway where we are fighting, at least that’s what we learned.”
“I mean I hope, that in maybe other tracks we can be a little bit closer, but we would still always be the 4th team at the moment, if we don’t change anything on the car.”
