Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has predicted a difficult Chinese Grand Prix for his team and Max Verstappen at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend.
Following a challenging start to the 2025 season in Australia, where Red Bull failed to win a season opener for the first time in two years, the team has another “tricky” race to face while it focuses on improving its F1 car, the RB21.
Verstappen’s verdict of his car after the Melbourne race suggests that it needs more work before it can match the pace of McLaren’s MCL39. The statement hints at ongoing problems the team is working to resolve on the car. This comes on the back of a tough 2024 season when Red Bull suffered from balance problems on the RB20.
Horner stressed that Red Bull has only won the Chinese Grand Prix twice in 20 years and admitted that the team would be going there to learn more about the car so it can be improved further through upgrades that are expected to arrive in a few weeks. Speaking on the upcoming race weekend, Horner said:
“I think expectations are difficult to set ahead of China.
“This track historically for us, even in our strongest days, has never played to our strengths.
“I think the fact that we’ve only won this race twice in 20 years shows it’s quite a tricky circuit for us.
“I think we’re looking forward to going to China and learning more about the car or about some of its limitations.
“The McLarens will be quick there, I’ve got no doubt about that, but it’ll be interesting to see how the balance moves around.”
Following his second-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, Verstappen pointed out the dominant pace of the McLarens while the tires on his car began to heat up. He said:
“I think [the pace is] good compared to the teams behind us. But if you look at the first stint, we were quite a bit off.
“As soon as the tyres started to overheat, we had no chance. McLaren just took off. So, we still have a lot of work to do to fight for a win.
“I’m happy that we are second here. It’s basically one place better than we should have been. And it’s 18 more points than I had last year at this race.”
As Red Bull analyzes its data to develop effective car upgrades, the upcoming triple-header following the Chinese Grand Prix could present a grueling challenge for the team.
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