Max Verstappen made it clear after the first two practice sessions for the United States Grand Prix that Red Bull Racing still has work to do. Despite finishing second in FP1 and setting the third-fastest time in FP2, the four-time world champion is not entirely satisfied with the balance of his car. Finding the right setup for the fast and slow corners has proved particularly challenging in Austin.
Verstappen got off to a strong start to the F1 weekend and was competitive in both practice sessions. The four-time world champion topped the timesheets several times in FP2, but ultimately had to settle for a place behind Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. The Ferrari driver was fastest with a lap time of 1:35.291, while Verstappen’s 1:35.480 left him less than two tenths off the Monegasque.
Verstappen explains what Red Bull needs to work on
After FP2, Verstappen explained why finding the right setup in Austin is so difficult. "It’s never easy at this circuit to find a good compromise between the car’s setup for the slow and fast corners. The bumpy surface makes it even more difficult."
Red Bull made adjustments between the two practice sessions to improve the balance. "We tried to find a good rhythm and balance in the car. We worked on that between the first and second practice sessions. There’s still some work to do, but it wasn’t a bad start to the weekend," Verstappen said.
The Dutchman set his fastest lap on the soft tyres, briefly taking over first place. Leclerc then went quicker, followed by Antonelli. In the closing stages, Verstappen focused on longer runs in preparation for the race, as did most of the other drivers. His third-fastest time therefore remained unchanged.
Verstappen started Friday with the second-fastest time in FP1, after his quickest lap on the soft tyres was deleted for exceeding track limits. During that session, Verstappen reported over team radio that he was feeling resistance when turning in. The team then worked on the setup between sessions, but according to the Dutchman, they have yet to find the right balance. In the closing stages of FP2, he focused on longer runs in preparation for the race.