Max Verstappen "never saw" Red Bull close to Mercedes despite F1 pre-season hype

Max Verstappen has stated it is no surprise that Red Bull has fallen short of the early F1 pacesetters after struggling in the midfield of the Chinese Grand Prix before retiring.

Red Bull has slipped behind Haas in the constructors’ standings with a disappointing showing in Shanghai as Verstappen retired, and Isack Hadjar could manage only eighth place. After two weekends, the team is level on points with Racing Bulls, with Verstappen’s sixth place in Australia separating the two.

This form is counter to the optimism that was shared within the paddock following pre-season testing, as Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff labelled Red Bull “the benchmark”, suggesting he had seen data that indicated the team’s power unit could be over a second faster per lap on the straights.

Verstappen, however, was not among those buying into the hype.

“For me, it’s not a surprise we’re not close to Mercedes or Ferrari or McLaren,” said Verstappen. “But this weekend was particularly bad. I hope we can be a little bit more competitive.

“I hope that after Japan, we have the extra weeks to put a bit more performance in the car, but at the same time, the others will have performance. So, it’s really not where we want to be.”

Asked how to explain the pace drop in China, Verstappen responded:  “You guys don’t know. I know. I never saw myself close to Mercedes, but this weekend has been particularly bad."

While unhappy with the current performance of the RB22, Verstappen is cautious not to express negativity to the team.

“I know everyone is trying their best, and I know they are as frustrated as me within the team,” he added. “But we, of course, want to be better. Hopefully, we can be a little bit better in Japan.”

Verstappen’s F1 start problems persist

While Verstappen has been able to wrestle his Red Bull into Q3, his efforts were once again rendered pointless after difficulties at the start relegated him down the order.

His grand prix also ended early due to an ERS issue.

 “It was expected [the pace], but the start was a big problem, same as yesterday. 

"The rest of the race was the same as yesterday: a lot of graining, terrible pace, can’t push, terrible balance, like yesterday. So, yeah, just a very bad weekend for us. 

“In Melbourne, I had no battery, and here the two problems were the same. I just have no power. When I release the clutch, the engine is not there."