Verstappen: Ferrari are too quick - there's nothing we can do

Max Verstappen believes Ferrari are simply too fast to compete with at the moment, and reckons the best he will be able to finish at the Russian Grand Prix is fourth or fifth due to his P9 starting position which was given via a five-place grid penalty.

In yesterday’s afternoon practice, the Dutchman kept up pace with the Scuderia and Charles Leclerc to finish fastest, but in his opinion, Ferrari were withholding some of their power for qualifying.

“Ferrari, they didn't turn their engines up [in practice],” Verstappen said after Q3 in Sochi,

“Yesterday we were the same pace on the straight and today [the gap] is more than a second we lose on all the straights combined.

“You can't do anything about that. There are corners on this track, but a second? It's too much. It's still six or seven-tenths.

“From our side, the last sector yesterday was very strong and today was more windy. Somehow it influenced us a bit more than others.

“To split two Mercedes cars was the best we could do today.”

Leclerc bests Vettel, Hamilton to take Russia poleRead more

The Red Bull driver, along with team-mate Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, will receive a grid penalty tomorrow after gaining a new power unit, putting him in P9 after finishing qualifying in fourth.

Due to the speed of the front runners, and his position further behind, he thinks a podium spot is out of reach in the GP.

“I think, realistically, P5, maybe P4. We qualified P4, so we have the pace and you can go forward, but Ferrari are clearly too quick,” he responded when asked if he could finish in the top three.

“Lewis is ahead and they [Mercedes] are starting on a different strategy so I don't really expect to fight him.”

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix starting grid with LATE penalties applied

• 14 minutes ago

F1 Standings 2026: Lewis Hamilton is back as Verstappen melts down

• 39 minutes ago

F1 officially cancels two races as international conflict rages on

• 43 minutes ago

F1 2026 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast - latest from Shanghai

• 1 hour ago

F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton lets Mercedes secret slip as Toto Wolff celebrates third driver

• Today 00:30

'He took my seat' - Lewis Hamilton heaps praise on Mercedes replacement Kimi Antonelli

• Yesterday 23:45