Verstappen: We are not fast enough

It was a bittersweet day for Red Bull in Shanghai, with Verstappen — as usual — a threat at the sharp end, finishing P3 in the Formula 1 Sprint Race but lacking grip, and therefore firepower, on his front tyres to do any better. That’s as good as any driver could manage in that car. As was P4 in Qualy later on Saturday

In contrast, on the other side of the Red Bull garage, Liam Lawson’s woes persist. The young Kiwi’s stock is rock bottom, as talk of a replacement in the form of Yuki Tsunoda is already doing the rounds on the F1 paddock ‘telegraph’ in Shanghai.

Looking ahead to the race on Sunday, Horner believes tyre management and strategy will be the decisive factors, rather than outright grid position: “These tyres are so sensitive and we saw in the Sprint race different graining and different cars working in different ways.

"I don't think pole position is essential for this race, it's all going to be about strategy and that front-left tyre. Max was right up there also, he did a great job and there were parts of his run that looked like he could stick it on pole but it was not to be," added Horner.

The team also faced challenges with Lawson, who struggled throughout Saturday’s sessions. Horner acknowledged it had been a difficult day for the Red Bull junior: “It's been a tough day in the office for him today, so we'll have a good look at it and go through it, and obviously try and give him the best car for tomorrow.”

Despite qualifying P4, Verstappen was frustrated with the balance of the RB21 and told reporters that he doubted his chances of winning the race under normal circumstances, saying it would only happen “if they all retire in front of me!

“We are not fast enough. The lap was alright, but it was very difficult to get a consistent balance out of it — every lap, every corner basically. It was tough. But we are working on it and trying to do better. I feel comfortable and confident, but sometimes my input is not what I'm getting back from the car and that makes it quite difficult to nail every corner.

“Then in the race, when it's not doing that, you're degrading your tyres harder than cars around you and that's not ideal,” added the four-time F1 World Champion, who — despite the car’s limitations — feels he is in top form personally and executing well on race weekends.

“I probably feel in the best shape again, driving-wise, compared to even the years before. I feel I go into Qualifyings, I'm nailing the laps and doing a good job. The races so far — we have executed everything we can. But when the race pace is lacking, there's not much you can do,” Verstappen explained.

For now, Red Bull is a one-car team, with Verstappen doing the heavy lifting and new teammate Lawson AWOL since day one of the season in Australia through to this weekend in China. The Lawson we once knew has vanished.

After Quali, Lawson, who knows he is under severe pressure to perform, acknowledged: “It was a messy session and had we not dealt with traffic, it might have been OK. But it is still not good enough to be having these issues — we should be fast enough on our first lap.

“We shouldn’t need a perfect session to get out of Q2, we should be well down the road. It’s a tough car to drive for sure and you always want more time to get used to it. The window in this car is really small and that is known, but that is not an excuse. I have got to get a handle on it,” admitted Lawson.