Max Verstappen disagrees with Red Bull F1 boss after being accused of…read more
Max Verstappen has rejected claims made by Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, after the Chinese Grand Prix, where he finished fourth. Horner suggested that Verstappen’s cautious approach in the race was a key factor in his failure to challenge for a podium finish. Despite Red Bull’s overall struggles in the Shanghai race, Verstappen’s performance was notably subdued, with the Dutch driver never able to compete against the dominant McLarens.
After the race, Horner attributed Verstappen’s lack of pace during the opening stint on medium tyres to a “cautious” approach, possibly influenced by concerns about tyre degradation from the previous day’s sprint race. According to Horner, Verstappen may have been overly careful with his tyre management, which led to him losing time and ultimately finishing out of contention for a podium.
However, Verstappen disagreed with Horner’s assessment. The world champion explained that his pace during the first stint was simply not on par with that of his competitors, including McLaren, Ferrari, and George Russell. Verstappen stated that his strategy to drive at a steady pace rather than aggressively pushing for position was intentional. He believed that maintaining a conservative approach would help preserve his tyres, a lesson learned from previous races where aggressive driving led to rapid tyre degradation.
Reflecting on his first stint, Verstappen said it actually “worked out quite nicely,” as he was able to stay close to the leading pack despite lacking the pace to challenge them directly. He emphasized that this approach was preferable to the risk of over-driving and causing unnecessary tyre wear. When he switched to the harder tyre, Verstappen noted that his performance improved, with the grip coming back to him towards the end of the stint, allowing him to match the pace of the cars ahead.
Despite Verstappen’s personal performance, Red Bull faces additional challenges within the team. While the Dutch driver continues to score consistent points, his teammate, Liam Lawson, has struggled to make an impact. Lawson has yet to score any points in 2025 and has been unable to make it past Q1 in any of the three qualifying sessions he’s participated in. This has raised concerns within the team, leading Red Bull to consider replacing Lawson for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. The team is reportedly set to hold an emergency meeting to decide whether to replace the struggling Kiwi with Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda, who could step into the seco
nd car.
