Verstappen: RB22 'undrivable' after China GP sprint
Verstappen: RB22 'undrivable' after China GP sprint
Max Verstappen laments the RB22 as undrivable after a tough sprint weekend in Shanghai, starting P8 and nearly violating FIA rules in the press conference.
Max Verstappen arrived in Shanghai hoping to make the most of a weekend that has not gone to plan. After a testing sprint shootout, the four-time world champion branded the RB22 as 'undrivable', a candid assessment that underscored the car’s struggles on the Chinese GP weekend.
The comments followed a subpar sprint qualifying that left him eight places behind the pole, a result that added to the frustration around the RB22’s performance in the sprint format. Verstappen has shown he can extract pace, but this time the car’s handling remained a sticking point as the team tried to rally for Sunday.
Amid the tension, Verstappen also faced a moment that could have triggered a FIA violation: he was close to swearing during the official press conference ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, but caught himself in time. The incident drew attention from fans and teams, highlighting the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a Shanghai weekend.
Fans reacted with a mix of humor and sympathy, joking that Verstappen could drive even the slowest car to pole if given space and time, while acknowledging the RB22’s current struggles. As the weekend unfolded, questions focused on how quickly the team can translate practice and sprint groundwork into competitive pace for the race ahead.
All eyes now turn to Sunday, with Verstappen aiming to navigate a track that has proven tricky for the RB22 and hoping for a stronger result to salvage the weekend.
