Red Bull expects challenges for Verstappen in China

Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, has said that this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix will be a tough race for his team and driver Max Verstappen. The race will take place at the Shanghai International Circuit. Red Bull had a hard time at the season opener in Australia, where they did not win for the first time in two years. Horner noted that the team is working to improve their car, the RB21. After the race in Melbourne, Verstappen mentioned that the car needs more attention to compete with McLaren's MCL39. Horner also pointed out that Red Bull has only won the Chinese Grand Prix twice in the last two decades. He admitted that they are going to China to learn more about their car's strengths and weaknesses. He said the track has historically not suited Red Bull's performance. Verstappen, who finished second in Australia, acknowledged that McLaren showed much faster pace during the race. He indicated that while Red Bull was faster than other teams behind them, they were not competitive against McLaren when the tires began to overheat. As the team reviews their data for upgrades, they also face a demanding schedule with upcoming races after China. Horner and Verstappen both agree there’s still work to be done to challenge for wins this season.