Verstappen: Red Bull Faces Tough Japan GP, Hopes for Data-Driven Improvement

0:00On March 26, Max Verstappen says Red Bull faces a tough challenge at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix. The team is not close enough to the leaders to chase a fifth straight win there for the Dutch driver. After a rough start to the season, they trail not just top teams like McLaren and Ferrari, but even midfield outfits like Haas. In China last time out, Verstappen missed a spring point by four tenths and retired from the main race while in six place. That caused them eight valuable points. The car has also struggled with poor starts, driving positions right from the opening lap. Verstappen remains realistic, noting they are nowhere near the front right now. He hopes the April break, skipping races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, lets the team dig into data from early rounds and close the gap. China was there worse so far, and they aim to build from there. Meanwhile, new teammate Isaac Hadjar has shown promise despite the car's issues. He qualified third in Australia, before a reliability failure, sidelined him, then grabbed

1:00four points in China's Grand Prix after a sprint setback. Red Bull sits level with racing bulls on twelve points total. Hadjar feels settled already, praising Verstappen's speed while calling their car heavy and slow, especially in corners. With more races ahead, both drivers look to maximize gains in Japan and use the downtime wisely. I'm Corey with the story, and you've been listening to F1 News today, AI-powered team coverage.