Fifth then sixth on Friday in Madrid, Max Verstappen believes Red Bull still needs to improve on two essential aspects to hope to get closer to Mercedes.
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Max Verstappen expects more from his Red Bull before the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying. Without experiencing a catastrophic first day on the new Madring, the Dutchman never seemed able to truly challenge Mercedes, who dominated the first two free practice sessions.
Fifth in FP1, Verstappen finished sixth in FP2 at four tenths behind Kimi Antonelli. A few hours earlier, he had already conceded six tenths to George Russell. After this first day, the four-time world champion identified two priority areas: improving one-lap performance and better understanding the behavior of the tires over long stints.
A Red Bull still difficult to balance
Verstappen’s radio messages reflected the difficulties encountered behind the wheel of the RB22. The Dutchman notably complained about an overly unstable rear end on corner exit, but also about understeer he found strange in certain sections.
Red Bull took advantage of this first day to test different rear wing configurations, without managing to offer its driver a fully satisfactory balance. Verstappen even requested at one point to revert to another configuration.
“The car is still unstable… I need the other wing.”
Despite these complaints, his analysis after the session was much more measured. Verstappen believes the base is not bad, but a few tenths are still missing to really mix it up at the front.
Two clearly identified priorities
The Red Bull driver primarily wants to find more speed when the car runs with low fuel and soft tires, an element that will obviously be crucial for qualifying. But the work is not limited to pure one-lap performance.
“It wasn’t too bad. We just need to try to find a bit more pace over one lap and better understand the tires over long stints.”
Verstappen also wants to continue accumulating kilometers to better grasp a Madring that the entire field is discovering this weekend.
“You also have to really get into the rhythm, lap after lap.”
On a completely new circuit, this progression is particularly important. Drivers are still discovering the racing lines, bumps, and limits not to be exceeded, while grip evolves quickly as the track rubbers in.
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Mercedes sets the pace in Madrid
The main problem for Red Bull remains the performance shown by Mercedes. Russell set the fastest time in the first session before Antonelli took over in FP2, immediately confirming the excellent level of the German car on the new Spanish layout.
Verstappen was, however, not far enough behind to consider the situation worrying. With four tenths of a gap on Friday evening, some improvements in the balance of the RB22 could allow him to reduce the gap before qualifying.
“Everything was going pretty well. There are always small things during a practice session that you want to work on and improve. That’s what we’ll try to do for tomorrow, then we’ll see where we stand.”
An important final practice session
The day was not perfectly smooth for the entire field. Traffic notably caused several tricky situations during FP1, with Lewis Hamilton at the center of various complaints for impeding other drivers. During the second session, Arvid Lindblad’s crash at turn 13 caused the first red flag of the weekend.
Under these conditions, having a final practice session without interruption could be valuable for Verstappen and Red Bull. FP3 will notably confirm the setup changes made overnight before focusing on qualifying.
“It always helps to have a clean session rather than a messy one. We’ll see if we can find a bit more performance in the car.”
Red Bull will notably have to determine which aerodynamic configuration offers the best compromise on a Madring made up of corners with very different characteristics. The goal will also be to reduce the rear-end instability that regularly bothered Verstappen on Friday.
Verstappen keeps Mercedes in his sights
The first day in Madrid thus leaves Red Bull in an intermediate position. The RB22 does not seem fast enough to worry Mercedes as it stands, but Verstappen remains close enough to hope to turn the situation around through setup and a better understanding of the circuit.
The Dutchman now knows where to focus efforts: more speed over one lap and better tire management over long stints. If Red Bull manages to progress in these two areas overnight, Verstappen could seriously close in on Mercedes when the times really count.
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