Max Verstappen bemoans ‘all over the place’ weekend for Red Bull after Australian Grand Prix qualifying

The world champion says he has been struggling to find “balance” all season long.

Max Verstappen qualified second in Melbourne. (Getty Images)

Max Verstappen says his Red Bull car has been “all over the place” at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne ahead of Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix, despite qualifying second the grid for Sunday morning’s race.

The world champion managed to beat team-mate Sergio Perez to be best of the rest behind pacesetter Charles Leclerc, whose best time in his Ferrari was just under three tenths-of-a-second faster than the pair of Red Bulls.

The team’s double retirement at the beginning of the season in Bahrain means Verstappen is currently 20 points behind Leclerc in the standings, and could do with beating the championship leader this weekend in order to reduce the deficit.

Verstappen, though, says he does not feel comfortable in the RB18 as things stand, and that he needs to find better “balance” across the course of the campaign.

“I would have hoped to start first but we have to accept where we finished,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “[The car] has been a bit tricky for me, all over the place, and I’ve never found a stable grip at the front or rear.

“But that’s been the case for the whole year, I’ve never really found a balance where I can fully attack all the corners, especially in qualifying. It’s been tough, We have a lot more potential in the car than we are showing and that’s a shame.

“I like a car that is pointy in the front and if it’s sliding too much that’s not good. I think in the race the car should stabilise a bit and become easier to drive. You don’t have to search for the one lap performance where we can’t find the balance, and the long runs seemed good, so hopefully we can have a good battle again.”

One advantage Verstappen does have in tomorrow’s race is the fact that Red Bull have two cars competing at the front, while Carlos Sainz’s disastrous session means he will start a lowly ninth, leaving Leclerc out front on his own. That means Red Bull have more strategic possibilities in order to try and pass Leclerc at the pitstops.

Verstappen, though, is more concerned about the problems with his own car.

“I didn’t really feel good in the car this weekend so far,” he added. “There hasn’t been a lap I’ve felt fully comfortable or that great to go to the limit.”

The Australian Grand Prix will begin on Sunday 10 April at 6am in the UK.