Verstappen: I'm actually very relaxed, very positive

Verstappen basically finished the Chinese Grand Prix where he started, as he managed to make up places he lost at the start with a strong stint towards the end of the 56-lap race.

The reigning Formula 1 champion remains second behind Lando Norris in the drivers' championship as he once again managed to limit the damage of driving his uncompetitive RB21 while McLaren still enjoy a car advantage that saw them bag a one-two in Shanghai on Sunday.

And while he faces an uphill task defending his title, Verstappen insists he is in a positive mindset. He said: "For me, nothing changes. I'm actually very relaxed, very positive in my mind.

"I'm enjoying life. Every time I jump in the car, I do the best I can and I'm not thinking about anything else. I feel good in life in general, if that's in or out of the car and that's what matters most," he added.

Reflecting on his race and the pace improvement he enjoyed towards the end, the Dutchman said: "I suddenly picked up tyre grip, not balance, that was the same.

"I had more tyre grip where others maybe plateaued a bit more and the lap times were more promising for us at least and also more fun to drive.

"The first half of the race was quite tough but we set out to do our own pace. In the Sprint, I tried to keep up with them but my tyres died.

"The tyres were still in decent shape when I pitted but that is also not how we want to race. A lot to analyse but at least the second stint was more promising and I hope we can take some learnings out of that into Japan."

As Red Bull continue to suffer with balance issues as well as tyre degradation difficulties, Verstappen was asked where his team needs to improve; he said: "It's difficult to say when you don't really know where or how to find it.

"At least that last stint, there's a bit more of a clearer picture. We will go through the data, learn a bit more and hopefully be more competitive in Suzuka," Verstappen concluded.

(Quotes from Sky Sports F1)