Verstappen shortens his break to assist Red Bull.

      "A quick solution like that, if it proves effective, would be fantastic."

      Max Verstappen will reduce his time at home this week to work alongside engineers and team management due to Red Bull's ongoing crisis. While the potential loss of Liam Lawson's seat is making headlines, the main issue lies in the difficulty of driving the RB21, which Verstappen claims is slower than the McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko mentioned as he departed from Shanghai that urgent upgrades are being expedited for introduction at Suzuka.

      "A quick solution like this, if it succeeds, would be excellent. However, we cannot solely depend on it," the 81-year-old Austrian cautioned. The four-time world champion Verstappen is also uncertain. "It's hard to predict when improvements will happen," said the Dutch driver. "Hopefully in Japan, of course."

      Marko highlighted an important meeting in Milton Keynes this week, confirming that the 27-year-old Verstappen will attend. "Max will visit the factory to discuss the shortcomings," Marko stated. This is in spite of Verstappen's initial plans to be at home in Monaco with his heavily pregnant girlfriend, Kelly Piquet. Reports indicate that a plane will be ready should he need to rush back if Kelly goes into labor.

      Marko remains unconcerned that the arrival of Max's child will distract him. "It won't affect him," he told Osterreich newspaper. "The race and the world championship are his top priorities."