Where is Max Verstappen ranked after the first two races of 2025? All you need to know amid his slump following the Chinese GP

After the season opener at Australia, Max Verstappen firmly remained in contention for the title, after coming in second. However, his struggles in Shanghai have sparked discussions about his losing momentum. As he sits second in the standings with 36 points after China, let's look at how his weekend unfolded.

Starting with the sprint race, Verstappen sat behind Hamilton at second in the grid but failed to overtake him at the start. To make matters worse, Varstappen's tyres gave away as he lost his starting position to Mclaren's Oscar Piastri, after a late-race overtake on lap 15. Hamilton went on to win the race, while Verstappen ended up finishing 9.8 seconds off the lead, at third.

Verstappen then faced a tough qualifying session, ending up fourth on the grid while Piastri took pole. Moreover, his teammate Liam Lawson qualified last in P20, further fueling talks on the RB21's drivability.

As first time pole-sitter Oscar Piastri took the checkered flag at the Chinese GP, the reigning champion failed to make any headway, and finished in his starting position of fourth. Meanwhile, title rival Lando Norris extended his lead with a second-place finish, despite his single point gain in the Sprint race.

Overall, Norris sits at the top of the table with 44 points. Verstappen hangs on to second with 36 points, while George Russell and Oscar Piastri trail dangerously close with 35 and 34 points, respectively.

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F1 drops the hammer on RB after Max Verstappen Chinese GP ordeal

Racing Bulls have been fined by FIA for an unsafe release of Isack Hadjar, which impeded Max Verstappen during Chinese Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, March 22.

During the final qualifying round, Verstappen pitted after his first flying lap when the RB pit crew released Hadjar late, forcing him directly into Verstappen’s path. The reigning champion had to take evasive action to avoid contact, briefly running side by side with the rookie.

Stewards noted the incident and issued a penalty of €5,000 for the breach of Article 34.14a of the sporting regulations. An excerpt from the FIA verdict reads,

"The driver of Car 6 stated that he followed the instructions of his pit lane representative (‘the Number 1’) and came out of the garage when requested to do so. He was slightly late in exiting the garage but in any event it was clear that the release was late and that resulted in Car 6 being released into the path of Car 1."

"The team representative accepted that the team made a mistake in this instance. We accordingly imposed a fine of €5,000 to the team.”

Isack Hadjar qualified seventh, two spots ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Earlier in the season, Hadjar’s Australian Grand Prix ended prematurely after an early spin during the formation lap. Hadjar finally got to race in China, where he qualified 7th and finished 14th on the grid.