Max Verstappen’s 2026 Formula 1 season start is far from ideal. In this Sunday’s (15) Chinese GP, after running in the middle of the pack, Red Bull asked the Dutchman to retire from the race.
Read more F1: Hamilton is third in China and returns to the podium for the first time since 2024
Since the regulation change with new cars and new engines, the Austrian team has struggled with competitiveness. In the Australian GP, the four-time champion finished in sixth place, unable to keep up with the pace of Mercedes and Ferrari.
And in Shanghai, the second stop on the calendar, the scenario was no different. In the Sprint race, after starting only eighth, he finished only in ninth position, outside the points zone – only the top-8 score points.
Read more F1: Antonelli becomes first first-time winner since Piastri 2024
For the main race, then, he also lined up in eighth place. It turns out that during the Chinese race, the competitor was unable to make much progress in the pack, never appearing in the leading positions.
Until on lap 47, when he was running in sixth place, Red Bull came on the radio asking the driver to retire after going slow on the track. In the broadcast, it was possible to see that the entire car, including the dashboard, went completely dark. With that, it was the seventh car to retire from the Formula 1 Chinese GP.
Read more Antonelli wins first in F1; Hamilton breaks drought and reaches the podium in China
