Red Bull feared Verstappen wouldn't even make top six

Red Bull Formula 1 team expected the worst after "horrendous" China free practice, says Helmut Marko

Red Bull was worried it wouldn't make the front two rows for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint after woeful tyre wear in practice, says advisor Helmut Marko.

The team came away from Australia's season opener with confirmation that main rival McLaren is a step ahead in pace and tyre wear, and there was further proof in the sole practice session for Shanghai's sprint weekend that Red Bull has a few weaknesses to solve.

Verstappen finished 16th in FP1 with Lawson 18th, and while Red Bull never tends to use powerful engine modes in practice sessions there was genuine worry about its lack of performance.

The Dutchman still looked some way off in SQ1 and SQ2, but in the top ten shootout he pulled a lap out of the bag that netted second, and was only 0.018s shy of the sprint pole set by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

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Verstappen's second starting berth came as a surprise to the team, with Marko admitting Red Bull hadn't expected to keep any McLaren or Ferrari car off the front two rows.

"It was much better than expected," Marko told Motorsport.com. "We were really worried about being able to make the first two rows. They changed several things on the car, which obviously helped as well, and then a mega lap from Max."

Expanding on Red Bull's practice woes, the Austrian said: "It was very tricky. We were not in the top six, and the tyre wear was horrendous. So, I hope tomorrow we can see the speed for the whole distance, but this was a very positive surprise.

"We hope that with these changes the tyre wear will also dramatically improve. The sprint is 19 laps, which is quite a lot, but we feel positive."

Marko said Red Bull's second driver Liam Lawson deserved "more time" after a costly mistake left the New Zealander last on the grid, while there was praise for an "unbelievable achievement" from Hamilton to grab a sprint pole on his second qualifying run aboard a Ferrari.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Marko also applauded the performances by Racing Bulls drivers Yuki Tsunoda (P8) and Isack Hadjar (P15), after having come under fire for his comments on Hadjar's tearful Australian GP exit last week.

"They did a very smart thing," he said. "Yuki got a slipstream from Hadjar, who had a wobble, so his lap was destroyed anyway, so it was technically very good. Yuki is in the form of his life so far, and Isack didn't know this circuit, so he did very well."