Verstappen start problem
Red Bull and Max Verstappen are facing a ‘big problem’ on race starts after post‑race analysis flagged several brutal launches in Shanghai that cost performance. The team has publicly pledged to address the issue ahead of the Japanese GP after footage of the starts was widely scrutinised (planetf1.com) (x.com).
Max Verstappen started Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix from eighth on the grid and was forced to retire after 45 laps with an ERS/cooling issue. (formula1.com) Verstappen told reporters the launch problem is mechanical, saying “as soon as I release the clutch, the engine is not there,” and linking the failures to a lack of available battery/ERS power at lights-out. (gpblog.com) Red Bull is running its own power units this year after splitting with Honda, and team sources and pundit analysis singled out multiple weak engine launches in Shanghai that cost the RB21 ground off the line. (planetf1.com) Team principal Laurent Mekies conceded the RB21 showed “significant shortcomings” in China and noted Red Bull have scored just 12 points from the opening two rounds — their weakest two-race return since 2015. (skysports.com) Former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas described Verstappen’s Shanghai getaways as “brutal to watch,” warning the new power-unit architecture makes launch control an “art form” that will take time to refine. (planetf1.com) Verstappen and Red Bull say they have gathered telemetry from the Sprint and Grand Prix and will use the between-round break to try to address the launch and ERS issues before the Japanese Grand Prix on March 27–29, 2026. (formula1.com) (skysports.com)
