Liam Lawson: This result is hard to accept.

      Max Verstappen qualified fourth in Shanghai. Commenting on his result, the reigning world champion stated that he had done his best, but had not achieved more because the car was not fast enough. His Red Bull Racing teammate Liam Lawson dropped out of the fight again in the first session, showing the latest time.

      Max Verstappen (4th): "To win tomorrow's race, I need a rally of rivals! We're just not fast enough. The lap turned out to be normal, but it was very difficult to achieve a stable balance due to the fact that it changed on every lap, in every corner. It was difficult because of this, but we are working to get better.

      I feel comfortable and confident driving, but sometimes my efforts don't match the impact of the car, so it's difficult for me to make every turn. In the race, our tires degrade more than our rivals, and this is also not ideal.

      Compared to last year, I feel in better shape in terms of how I drive. I feel like I'm doing well in qualifying, and I'm getting the most out of the car in the races. But when the car doesn't have enough speed, there's not much you can do."

      Liam Lawson (20th): "It's a hard result to accept. The car has a very narrow operating range, but that's no excuse. I need to find an approach to the car somehow.

      The session turned out to be nervous, I was hampered by traffic and similar things. Everything could have gone fine, but it's not good when such problems arise. That's why I dropped out – I need to drive fast enough on the first lap. It's not a big deal, but I just need to do it right.

      I think it's about time, which, unfortunately, I don't have. When I drive, I have to feel 100% confident in the car, but I don't have confidence because the operating range of the car is very narrow. I need to find a solution."

      Christian Horner, team principal: "Liam has had a difficult day, but we will study everything and try to provide him with the best car tomorrow.

      The 2025 tires are very sensitive, and we saw in the sprint that pelletizing occurs with varying degrees on different machines. I don't think pole position is critical on this track, so tomorrow it will all depend on strategy and wear on the front left tire."