Max Verstappen sees little to no prospect of securing a podium finish from fourth place in the upcoming Grand Prix of China. In a conversation with the four-time reigning world champion, there is little hope after the qualifiers: a top three finish, he believes, is “too much to ask”.
McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, along with George Russell (Mercedes), will start ahead of Verstappen in the race. “And it’s going to be a very tough race,” the Dutchman anticipates in Shanghai. “Also because of the Ferraris starting behind me. They performed quite well in the sprint race earlier in the day. So all in all, it’s going to be very difficult on Sunday.”
After that sprint race, in which Verstappen finished third behind Hamilton and Piastri, the team made improvements to the RB21. However, Verstappen does not expect these changes to bring about a significant turnaround in Sunday’s race. “We made some changes,” he confirms. “But I don’t think it will make much difference.” He particularly anticipates problems due to high tyre degradation.
Barring any incidents, based on the car and speed, a podium finish seems to be the highest achievable for Verstappen. Does he agree? Verstappen raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. He goes a step further: a podium finish, he believes, is “too much to ask.” Dr. Helmut Marko had previously stated that finishing in the top 3 would feel like a victory. Verstappen: “I don’t even want to think about that.”
The world champion knows what he’s talking about; he knows the car better than anyone, so his certainty is as clear as it is telling. Don’t count on miracles during Sunday’s GP of China. Although, with someone of Verstappen’s exceptional abilities, you can never completely rule it out.
