Max Verstappen acknowledged that he had relinquished more time to his competitors than necessary, as revealed in radio communications between him and his team. This acknowledgment contrasts sharply with his initial response following his fourth-place finish.
The four-time champion missed out on a podium position in Shanghai, with post-race data indicating that he fell behind during the first stint using medium tires. However, upon switching to the harder and more durable tire option, he managed to maintain a similar pace to the cars ahead, including the dominant McLarens.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko suggested that Verstappen might have dropped back further than required due to increased tire degradation experienced during the previous sprint race. Marko highlighted that the vulnerability of the medium tires might have influenced Verstappen’s performance.
Marko stated, “In the second stint with the hard tire, we matched the leaders’ pace. We lost the race due to the first stint with the medium tire. Perhaps Max was overly cautious due to concerns about the vulnerability of the medium tire.”
Verstappen, however, had a different perspective on the initial stint. He explained, “I believe the first stint worked out well for me because my pace was not at the level of McLaren, Ferrari, or Russell. Being behind them initially allowed me to drive at my own pace, as intended. In previous races, such as Australia, we aggressively degraded our tires by fighting. This time, I aimed to maintain my pace and conserve the tires, which currently do not match the performance of others around me.”
Despite this, Verstappen expressed dissatisfaction with his performance on the medium tires after the change. He admitted, “I lost a significant amount of time in that first stint.”
Verstappen’s engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, acknowledged the issue, and Verstappen inquired about the performance of the hard tires. Lambiase reassured him, stating, “The front tires are holding up well. No issues with Liam’s tire so far.”
Verstappen sought confirmation that tire management was proceeding normally, to which he was advised not to be overly cautious but to avoid excessive protection.
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Red Bull has had a tumultuous start to the season after replacing Verstappen’s teammate Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda. Red Bull chief Helmut Marko, a key figure in the driver swap decision, admitted that Verstappen was displeased with the change but emphasized the team’s need for two competitive cars to support Verstappen’s pursuit of another world title. Marko highlighted that utilizing Tsunoda’s experience and form would benefit the team and ultimately aid Verstappen in his quest for success.