Why Martin Brundle found Max Verstappen’s F1 Chinese GP “confusing”
Martin Brundle's view on Max Verstappen's "confusing" pace at the Chinese Grand Prix
F1 commentator Martin Brundle was perplexed by Max Verstappen’s impressive pace at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix, describing it as “a bit confusing”.
It was a lacklustre weekend for Red Bull at the Shanghai International Circuit.
While Verstappen was able to finish in the top three of the sprint race, he struggled with tyre wear and could not keep up with race winner Lewis Hamilton.
With that in mind, Verstappen drove conservatively in the first stint of the race after dropping behind the two Ferraris on the opening lap.
Verstappen came alive when he switched to the hards for the second half of the grand prix.
He reeled Hamilton in before the seven-time world champion made his second pit stop.
Verstappen then pulled off an impressive move on Charles Leclerc for fourth.
The Dutchman’s pace at the end of the race was comparable to that of the leaders, leaving Brundle confused about Red Bull’s true performance.
In his post-race column for Sky Sports, Brundle questioned Verstappen’s pace in Shanghai.
“It was about now that we remembered Verstappen was in the race as he started to find some grip,” Brundle wrote.
“Somehow on lower fuel, or simply track conditions, and probably even the realisation that he didn’t need to babysit the tyres so much, this allowed him to catch the Ferraris.
“In fact Max would deliver his fastest and front-running lap time on the final tour, which is a bit confusing.”
Red Bull set for “emergency meeting”
Red Bull are set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss how they can improve their on-track performance following a disappointing start to the 2025 F1 season.
Verstappen finished a distant fourth in China, while the second Red Bull of Liam Lawson hasn’t 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 constructors’ championship battle looks less promising for Red Bull,
Red Bull trail McLaren by 42 points after just two races.
Lawson’s future with the team will likely be a talking point in the meeting.
Reports have suggested that Yuki Tsunoda could replace Lawson for the Japanese Grand Prix.
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