Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Max Verstappen faced a fundamental problem with his Red Bull Racing car during Friday’s running at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The four-time world champion finished eighth in the only practice session of the weekend and repeated the same position in Sprint Qualifying.
Throughout the day at the Shanghai International Circuit, Verstappen was heard repeatedly complaining over team radio about issues related to the car’s balance and downshifts. The problems appeared to limit his ability to extract performance from the RB package during qualifying simulations.
Former Formula 1 strategist Bernie Collins explained that Verstappen’s radio messages revealed the scale of the difficulties he was experiencing behind the wheel.
“He was really unhappy throughout that whole session, complaining of the downshifts, which we’ve heard a lot from Max in the past,” Collins told Sky Sports F1.
“But there seem to be, fundamentally, a lot more issues going on in that car.”
Collins added that Verstappen even asked the team to review the entire car after struggling to find solutions during the session.
“At one point he just said, ‘just look at everything’. And when he came out on his out lap in SQ3, he asked if there was anything he could do differently to improve it,” Collins explained.
“He was basically told there wasn’t anything he could do because the issue was fundamental in the car.”
The situation leaves Verstappen starting the sprint race from the midfield as he attempts to add points to his championship tally. It also underlines the technical challenges Red Bull is currently facing during the early stages of the Shanghai weekend.
1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve suggested the problems could also be linked to energy harvesting difficulties caused by the car’s lack of grip.
“He said he has a lack of grip, and that triggers other issues,” Villeneuve said.
“When you are harvesting energy, the car needs to be very stable. If the car gets sideways and you lift off and get back on the throttle, it’s not good for the energy system.”
The Sprint race will therefore represent a crucial opportunity for Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing to evaluate the severity of the issue before the full-length Chinese Grand Prix. With rivals such as Mercedes and Ferrari showing strong pace in Shanghai, resolving the car’s balance problems may prove critical for the remainder of the weekend.
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