Helmut Marko has often referred to it as the “Max factor,” a valuable asset that only Red Bull possesses but also—above all—something to cling to in order to stay afloat while awaiting better times. It is on the most difficult days that a driver’s importance truly emerges, and once again, Max Verstappen was Red Bull’s lifeline after an FP1 that left the team feeling like it was sinking.
A final flash of brilliance that, of course, does not completely change what remains a long weekend but does provide a morale boost for the team, which, for now, is managing to maximize a package that is still far from perfect and has its own critical issues.
This is why Red Bull ends Friday in China with a smile—not just for the four-time champion’s second place but also for the progress made with the car, which, as has almost become tradition, rarely finds itself in the ideal window right from the first practice session.
On multiple occasions, the Anglo-Austrian team has had to deal with a setup prepared at the factory that, once on track, did not deliver the expected results, forcing them to rely on trackside learning to fine-tune the car. A similar scenario played out today, and after FP1, Red Bull doubted they could compete for the front two rows.
“It went much, much better than expected. We were really worried we wouldn’t be in the top two rows in qualifying. We changed several things on the car, which obviously helped, but then Max pulled off a fantastic lap,” said Helmut Marko after the qualifying session that determined the starting order for tomorrow morning’s sprint.
“FP1 was very difficult. We weren’t in the top six, and tire management was horrendous. I hope that tomorrow we can maintain this speed over a race distance, but it was a positive surprise,” added the Red Bull advisor. However, it’s worth mentioning that in FP1, Verstappen did not complete his final attempt, returning to the pits instead.
For this reason, the mere 18-thousandths gap to Lewis Hamilton’s pole position with Ferrari is not as frustrating as one might think. Of course, with just two hundredths less, he would have started from pole, on the clean side of the grid no less, but the main satisfaction is simply being on the front row.
“I’m very happy. I think in the first practice session, we were quite far off, so I’m really pleased to be on the front row. The lap was excellent. It’s very difficult when you switch from mediums to softs without any references. Obviously, the gap is just 18-thousandths from pole position, but we shouldn’t have even been on the front row, so I’m very happy,” said Verstappen.
Still relying on a low-drag setup
But how did Red Bull manage to secure this second place that lifted team morale? Undoubtedly, McLaren’s strategy of attempting two fast laps and the mistakes from both Woking drivers helped both Ferrari and the four-time world champion exceed expectations, but there are also interesting technical aspects at play.
First and foremost, one key factor was straight-line speed, thanks in part to the chosen setup. The team retained the same low-drag rear wing seen in Australia, but this time, the drivers took different approaches: Verstappen immediately opted for the lower-downforce configuration, while Lawson started with a higher-downforce setup to gain confidence and collect more data.
To give a reference, Max Verstappen recorded a top speed of 337 km/h on the back straight in qualifying—1 km/h faster than Hamilton and 5 km/h faster than Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
This speed advantage certainly helped gain an edge over the papaya-colored cars and closely mirrored the strategy used in Australia, where Red Bull relied heavily on straight-line speed to be competitive over a single lap. The other critical strength of the RB21 is its performance in medium-to-high-speed corners.
Looking at telemetry data, Verstappen lost the most time in slower corners or when suffering from understeer, such as in the Turn 1-2 sequence or Turns 8-9. However, in sections where high-load stability is still crucial—like through Turn 7—the stiff setup and specific aerodynamic characteristics of the RB21, on a relatively smooth surface, allowed him to remain competitive at the top, similar to last year.
The same applies to the final corner, where confidence on turn-in plays a significant role. All these elements combined to secure an unexpected second place, much like the second row in Australia. Now, however, comes the biggest challenge: making the tires last in the race.
This is where Red Bull has the most concerns, based on what was seen in FP1. Admittedly, there was limited data from just one session, and the track surface remains an unknown, but it was enough to raise alarm bells.
“We hope that with these changes, tire wear will improve dramatically. And yes, it’s 19 laps, which is quite a lot, but we are confident,” Marko added. Verstappen was less optimistic, confirming that keeping McLaren behind will be tough, though he remains hopeful of at least being able to fight: “I think it will be very difficult to keep them behind. Hopefully, at least, it will be fun—not just about being close, but at least that we can race. That would be nice for me.”
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