Max Verstappen hits new F1 low as Red Bull apologise for Chinese Grand Prix disaster

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool x GPFANS — Photo: © Red Bull Content Pool x GPFANS

Chinese Grand Prix

Max Verstappen hits new F1 low as Red Bull apologise for Chinese Grand Prix disaster

The four-time world champion really suffered in Shanghai

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 13 March 2026 12:45

Max Verstappen hit a new low in F1 on Friday as Red Bull were forced to apologise for a disastrous day at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion has been critical of the sport's sweeping new regulations throughout the build-up to the new season, but the Sprint Qualifying session at the Shanghai International Circuit was his worst moment yet.

Verstappen managed only P8 as he trailed a staggering 1.734 seconds behind Mercedes pole sitter George Russell.

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It was a dreadful session for the 28-year-old Dutchman, who has even talked about potential retirement given his dislike for the sport's new cars. He wasted no time in unloading his feelings on team radio.

“I just can’t accept this,” Verstappen fumed, adding: “This is unmanageable. We’ve never seen anything this poor.”

It wasn't just Verstappen suffering at Red Bull either - new team-mate Isack Hadjar also struggled mightily as he qualified in 10th, a shocking 2.203 seconds off pole.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was quick to apologise to Verstappen as he admitted: “I’m sorry, Max. It’s been tough, but there’s a lot we can learn from here. The weekend is far from over, and we’re not giving up.”

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Why are Red Bull struggling so much?

Mekies later spoke with Dutch broadcaster Viaplay, and explained why the team is facing such huge challenges.

“Right from the first laps, it’s been an enormous challenge. We just can’t seem to get the car into the right operating window, and on top of that, we’ve lost valuable time with a number of issues.

"They’re all small problems that add up, leaving us below the performance level we were aiming for. There’s still plenty of work to do.”

Can the issues be resolved?

We are now less than 48 hours away from Sunday's actual Chinese Grand Prix, so time is very short for Red Bull to even start to close such a massive gap.

Mekies reasoned: “Time will tell. The gap to our rivals has widened significantly since Melbourne. It’s really about understanding what we’re missing and figuring out how to bring everything together for a stronger performance.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Chinese Grand Prix