Max Verstappen concluded Friday’s practice sessions in Sao Paulo in third position, a position he maintained in both sessions. The Dutch driver was just over two-tenths off the quickest, with Lando Norris leading the first session and Kimi Antonelli the second.
Despite the classification, the Red Bull team has identified “sufficient potential” in the car to compete at the front. However, Verstappen faced some issues during the day. In the first session, he expressed concern about gear shifting issues and, towards the end, found himself working intensely due to a problem with the power steering.
The second session was marked by a notable radio exchange between Verstappen and his race engineer, Tom Hart, who is substituting for Gianpiero Lambiase this weekend. Hart informed Verstappen that they had made adjustments to the engine and gearbox, which prompted a humorous response from the driver.
One of the most surprising decisions was that Verstappen chose to enter the pits with more than six minutes remaining in the second session. According to the radio conversations, his decision was based on the lack of useful information to continue. “We found many inconsistencies in the current length and didn’t think it was useful to continue,” stated Hannah Schmitz, head of Red Bull’s race strategy.
This fact is noteworthy as his early withdrawal prevented him from executing a practice start, an important opportunity considering that the grid at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace features a steep uphill slope, and Red Bull’s season starts haven’t always been perfect.
Despite the setbacks, Schmitz is optimistic about the weekend’s possibilities. “There is a lot of potential within the car, even though both drivers will want to make changes overnight,” she added. The weather forecast, however, might complicate matters, with temperature effects and the possibility of rain to consider.
“Today we had to decide which sessions to conduct with each tire compound, and today’s situation is very different from what is expected for Sunday,” concluded Schmitz, noting that the information gathered during practice might not be as relevant.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
