Max Verstappen has identified a specific issue that affected Red Bull during the Australian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman singled out tyre degradation from the F1 season-opening round in Melbourne, but insists the Milton Keynes squad left Albert Park with “a lot of learnings and ways to improve” the RB21.
It was a solid start to his most recent drivers’ championship defence, following McLaren’s Lando Norris home for second place.
In many ways, it was the best result on offer, given the Woking team enjoyed a significant early-campaign pace advantage.
But it does also mean that Verstappen does not lead the drivers’ title fight for the first time in 1029 days, since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix – an F1 record.
Reflecting on the weekend, the 27-year-old expressed his satisfaction with the result. “It was good to kick off the season again and I enjoyed being back racing last week,” he said. “The team learnt a lot and in the end I was pleased with P2, but there is still a lot we can improve on.
“The tyre degradation particularly impacted us in Melbourne, but we came away with a lot learnings and ways to improve.”
Opportunities in China
Turning his attention to the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen senses opportunity on account of the Shanghai International Circuit have a range of overtaking spots.
“It is the first sprint weekend of the season so we need to make sure we have the best set up of the car possible and score as many points as we can,” the four-time drivers’ champion said.
“We don’t have a huge amount of time to turn everything around, especially with just one practice session, but the team are working hard to improve.
“I have always enjoyed racing in Shanghai; there are lots of opportunities for overtaking here and the circuit has a unique layout so we will see what the weekend brings.”
