Max Verstappen’s unheard radio frustrations at the Chinese GP highlight Red Bull’s 2026 issues

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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen has endured his worst start to a Formula 1 season since 2018 after retiring from the Chinese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen has exactly matched his start to the campaign eight years ago by finishing sixth in the first Grand Prix of the season before retiring from the next race.

The Dutchman eventually finished fourth in the drivers’ championship that season, and right now, the Red Bull driver might bite your hand off for that position in the standings.

The plaudits go to Kimi Antonelli, but who else in the top 10 impressed you at the Chinese Grand Prix?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Verstappen suffered with battery issues at the start of the race in Melbourne, and despite a more successful outing during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, he still found himself at the back of the pack going through the first corner.

However, with 10 laps to go in Shanghai, Verstappen was forced to retire from the race, and his radio messages to Gianpiero Lambiase highlight how difficult he’s finding the start of the 2026 season.

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Max Verstappen explains poor start to the Chinese Grand Prix on the team radio before retirement

The 28-year-old started on the fourth row of the grid on Sunday, but with both McLaren drivers failing to start in China, it essentially meant he was starting in P6.

Unfortunately, he once again got bogged down off the start and he said on the radio: “I let the engine RPM drop too low.”

The Dutchman was then incredibly unlucky with his first stop, pitting one lap before the safety car came out for Lance Stroll’s retirement and Lambiase said: “Target would be to try and go to the end [on these hard tyres].”

Verstappen simply said: “Yeah, I will try,” realising the size of the task he faced.

Later in the race, as he was trying to recover through the pack following his slow start, he said: “Mate my f—— boost button!” suggesting that Red Bull are still having issues with their battery deployment.

A few laps before retiring, Verstappen asked his race engineer: “Well, how about you check my onboard?”

Lambiase replied: “I am supposed to be on your side, Max, trying to give some help and information, nothing further, mate.”

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Max Verstappen and Red Bull have time to improve after 2026 F1 calendar changes

The next time that Verstappen jumps into a racing car could be to attempt to qualify for the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

A qualifying weekend was moved for Verstappen to participate between the Chinese and Japanese Grand Prix, and what Red Bull don’t need is the Dutchman loving that experience so much that he chases it even more than just one event per year.

Red Bull have chassis issues that need addressing, as Verstappen’s qualifying attempts have shown.

However, his retirement will raise more alarm bells than before, with a new power that still has some teething issues, and a car that has no input from Adrian Newey who has been so important to their recent success.

Verstappen’s car is still 10 kilograms overweight, and while getting down to the weight limit will help performance, it might not aid his reliability issues.