Max Verstappen says Red Bull needs upgrades after fourth‑place finish in Barcelona GP

Max Verstappen qualified fifth at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and was surprised by the improvement Red Bull showed overnight, noting the car was still “a little bit sensitive.” He said the race would be decided by tyre degradation and pit‑stop strategy rather than qualifying position.

In the race, Verstappen finished fourth, the best result for him on the high‑wear circuit since Canada, and climbed one place after Kimi Antonelli’s late retirement. He acknowledged Red Bull remains behind Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren, describing the team as a “work in progress” that needs more performance and effective upgrades. Team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that major upgrades are planned for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen stressed that tyre wear will be the key challenge, with Red Bull having fewer hard tyres after sacrificing a set in practice, and he emphasized that the team must improve to close the gap to the front‑running rivals.