Max Verstappen has shared his impressions after the first practice sessions of the Formula 1 weekend in Spa-Francorchamps. Although Red Bull had anticipated difficulties due to energy management, the Dutch driver surprised with the best time in the first practice.
Verstappen acknowledges that this is the first time in a while that the team has managed to put the car, the RB22, in an appropriate operating window from the start of a race weekend. However, he remains cautious about the chances of victory, noting that the second practice session offered a more realistic picture of the car’s pace.
In this second session, Verstappen finished nearly half a second off the pace set by Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes. The driver stated: “It has been a good day for me, I haven’t had major issues. The car has been quite competitive.” Despite this, he mentioned that performance on the long straights of Spa shows certain shortcomings that need to be addressed.
Challenges in energy management
Verstappen explained that the long straights of the circuit complicated energy management, affecting Red Bull’s speed compared to some of their rivals. “It’s a challenging circuit in terms of energy management. On the straights, we are a bit slower than some competitors, but in terms of balance, it has been acceptable,” he said.
Problems with gear downshifts
Additionally, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the feel of the downshifts, which he described as “unacceptable” during testing. After the session, he clarified that these sensations are part of the usual car adjustment process and that they hope to resolve it with upcoming improvements.
One of the most obvious changes to the Red Bull car this week is the use of a more conventional rear wing, replacing the previously used rotating design. The team hopes to reintroduce this concept after modifying it for the next race in Hungary.
Despite the challenges, Verstappen considers the day to have been productive and emphasizes that his team will continue working to improve. The focus is now on appropriately preparing for the qualifying and race on Sunday.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
