Red Bull’s Max Verstappen brands his car “completely undriveable” after a dismal qualifying session at the Chinese Grand Prix, finishing eighth.

RED Bull’s Max Verstappen delivered a scathing assessment of his car’s performance after qualifying a lowly eighth for the Chinese Grand Prix. The four-time world champion described his RB22 as “completely undriveable” following a torrid day that also included a poor sprint race.

“The whole weekend we’ve been off, the car is completely undriveable,” the Dutchman told reporters. He added that extensive setup changes had made “zero difference” to the car’s handling, which left him over a second off pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli’s pace.

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Verstappen’s frustrations were compounded by a difficult sprint race earlier on Saturday. He qualified eighth for that event but slumped to 14th during the 19-lap race around the Shanghai International Circuit, eventually finishing ninth behind sister team Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.

“It’s incredibly tough to drive,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. He explained that the car had no balance and he could not lean on it, making every lap “a fight” and “like survival”.

The reigning champion had arrived in China hoping to build momentum after a recovery drive from the back to sixth in Australia. This weekend’s struggles mark a significant downturn for Red Bull in its first season running its own power unit, following the end of its successful partnership with Honda.

Verstappen suggested the new engine was partly to blame but cited a multitude of factors for the poor performance. “From lap one of these new regulations, I have not enjoyed this car for sure,” he added, grimly predicting that Sunday’s grand prix would “not be a fun race”.

 The Sun Malaysia