Formula 1 commentator Martin Blandle was confused by Max Verstappen’s impressive pace at the end of China’s Grand Prix, explaining that he was “a little confusing.”
For Red Bull at the Shanghai International Circuit, it was an inadequate weekend.
Verstappen was able to finish in the top three of the sprint race, but struggled with tire wear and failed to catch up with race winner Lewis Hamilton.
With that in mind, Verstappen drove reserved in the first stint of the race after falling behind two Ferraris on the opening lap.
Verstappen came to life when he switched to hard late in the Grand Prix.
He winds up Hamilton before the seven-time world champion made his second pit stop.
Verstappen then pulled out Charles Leclerc’s impressive move to fourth.
The Dutch’s pace at the end of the race was comparable to that of the leader, and Blandle confused about Red Bull’s true performance.
In a post-race column for Sky Sports, Blandle questioned Verstappen’s pace in Shanghai.
“It was now, we were, that we remembered Verstappen was in the race as he began to find some grips,” writes Brundle.
“For some reason, he could catch a Ferrari, either lower the fuel or simply track the conditions and perhaps even realising that he doesn’t need to babysit the tires too much.
“In fact, Max will provide his fastest and frontline lap time on the final tour, which is a bit confusing.”
Red Bull Set for “Emergency Meeting”
After the disappointing start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Red Bull is set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss ways to improve performance on track.
Verstappen finished in a distant fourth place in China, but Liam Lawson’s second Red Bull has not finished in the top 10 all season.
The good news for Red Bull is that Verstappen is just eight points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
However, the constructor’s championship battle does not seem to be promising for Red Bull.
The Red Bull Trail McLaren had 42 points after just two races.
Lawson’s future with the team will likely be the talk of the meeting.
Reports suggest that Tsunoda could replace Lawson with the Japanese Grand Prix.