Verstappen missed the first training earlier in the day, but needed little time to get into the rhythm. He drove one fast lap on the softest tire, which was immediately good for the fastest time of the session: 1.17.392. Then he focused on the longrunthe racing simulation.
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Behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc set the second fastest time, one and a half tenths of Verstappen’s time. Kimi Antonelli followed shortly behind. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri did not get further than the fourth and twelfth fastest times respectively.
Max Verstappen complains about a lack of grip in a race simulation
Verstappen rode a long run on the medium tire, but clocked slower lap times than, for example, Leclerc, who also rode on the yellow rubber. “I have no grip, it’s like I’m driving on ice,” Verstappen said over the on-board radio.
Both McLaren drivers opted for a run on the softest tire during their race simulation, in which Norris was faster than Piastri. Verstappen also opted for a shorter race simulation on the softest tire in the final phase. His lap times then looked better, comparable to Norris’s times.