Verstappen pinpoints cause of Red Bull's recurring race start issues

Max Verstappen has identified a critical lack of battery and engine power at the clutch release as the root cause of his repeated poor race starts, following a weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix where the issue contributed to a difficult race and eventual retirement.

Why it matters:

For a driver and team accustomed to dominating from the front, consistent start-line problems are a significant vulnerability. They erase strategic advantages earned in qualifying, force recovery drives through traffic—increasing risk—and can ultimately cost race wins and championship points. Verstappen's public diagnosis points to a recurring technical gremlin that Red Bull must solve to maintain its competitive edge.

The details:

• Verstappen explicitly linked his poor starts in China to the same issue experienced at the Australian Grand Prix, stating, "I had no battery in Melbourne, and here the two problems are the same."
• The core technical fault occurs at the precise moment of launch: "As soon as I release the clutch, the engine is not there," leaving him without the immediate power surge needed for a strong getaway.
• The start issues compounded other performance struggles in Shanghai, where Verstappen also battled severe tire graining and a "terrible" car balance throughout the weekend.
• His race ultimately ended on Lap 46 due to a separate ERS (Energy Recovery System) problem, capping off what he called "a very bad weekend for us."

What's next:

Red Bull's engineering team now faces the urgent task of diagnosing and rectifying this power delivery flaw at the race start. With the championship battle intensifying, reliable launches are non-negotiable. The team will need to ensure the issue is fully resolved before the next race to prevent handing easy positions to rivals like Ferrari and McLaren at the beginning of each Grand Prix.