Verstappen sees continued McLaren dominance in Shanghai

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Max Verstappen has cast McLaren as the team to beat at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, predicting that Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari will be left scrapping for second place.

Fresh off Lando Norris’s victory in a chaotic, wet Australian Grand Prix, McLaren heads to Shanghai with momentum – and Verstappen sees their pace as undeniable.

“They’re super strong,” he said, acknowledging their edge. “I mean, I have a lot of respect for what they have done. You know, already last year and now they’re very fast. Yeah, very all-round, good everywhere.”

In Melbourne, Norris clinched the win, with Verstappen trailing by less than a second in changeable conditions, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

A dry forecast for China, including the season’s first sprint race, could amplify McLaren’s advantage, leaving Verstappen to size up the chasing pack.

Red Bull in the Mix, But Not the Favorite

Although he concluded last weekend’s race at Albert Park snapping at Norris’ heels, Verstappen admitted that McLaren’s superiority was clear.

“So I think that is just a fact. Now how big the gap is or whatever is difficult to say,” he noted.

“I think the clear picture that you saw was that McLaren was quite far ahead. Because I don’t think I’m an idiot in the wet, but in the first stint I didn’t really have a lot of chance to fight.”

©RedBull

The Dutchman sees Red Bull locked in a tight tussle with Mercedes and Ferrari.

“I think in general we just need to be better as a whole; if you compare that to McLaren, they’re good everywhere,” he added.

“It’s impossible to really answer fully. I think myself, so Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari were all quite close. And probably will differ a bit track to track.”

A Nod to Norris’s Struggles

Despite McLaren’s pace, Norris called his car tricky and ill-suited to his style – a sentiment Verstappen knows well from his own early 2024 gripes with Red Bull.

“His own McLaren? Maybe he was joking,” Verstappen quipped when told of Norris’s remarks.

“I don’t want to compare scenarios. For sure, last year, when we started, I was already complaining that some bits were not to my liking, but we were still winning.”

For the four-time world champion, McLaren’s dominance is no surprise, even if Norris wrestles with the MCL39.

As Shanghai looms, Red Bull’s star driver is bracing for a fight – not for the lead, but among the best of the rest.

Read also:

Norris tempers the hype: ‘People need to calm down’

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.