Fourth world champion Max Verstappen ended the qualifying at the Grand Prix of Formula 1 in China. While Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was happy about the good result, the Dutch already looked ahead of the race on Sunday. The four -time champion does not pay off a chance of victory despite the start of row two.

Max Verstappen had just 0.176 seconds behind in qualifying at China’s Grand Prix on the pole era of Oscar Piatri. The distance to the dominant McLaren is therefore low on paper. In the end, only 24 thousandths were missing from WM leader Lando Norris, who ended up in third place.


RTL and RTL+* Transfer the Grand Prix of China (from 7:00 a.m.) live as part of the super sports Sunday. In the evening it will be exciting during the second leg in the Nation’s League quarter-finals between Germany and Italy from 8:15 p.m.


“The gap to McLaren is significantly lower than we feared. It is damn tight, Ferrari and Mercedes are also within a tenth,” emphasized Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko after qualifying towards “Motorsport-Total.com”, who was happy about a “very good result” on Saturday.

Formula 1: Verstappen awaits “difficult races”

However, Verstappen did not share the optimism of the 81-year-old. “The distance looks low, but to be honest, I don’t think it is realistic,” said the Dutch after qualifying and followed that the gap to the top teams “is larger than it appears”.

Rather, the team is now only the fourth force in Formula 1, said the four -time F1 champion: “At least that’s how it feels for me at the moment. I felt really good and relaxed in qualifying in the car, it could get it out – but it’s just too slow.”

Although you can help a little luck at the start “on Sunday,” but I generally don’t have a chance in the race, “he emphasized, adding to” Servustv “:” Behind me are also two Ferraris, who of course have already won with Lewis today – I had no chance in the sprint “. Verstappen therefore expects a “difficult race”.

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