Max Verstappen has not yet found the right balance in his Red Bull on the hot asphalt of the Circuit de Catalunya.
“It was difficult, also because of the heat. There is clearly still work to be done when it comes to the speed over one lap,” said the world champion after training for the Spanish Grand Prix.
middle way
The driver finished third in the first practice session and fifth in the second. In both practices, Charles Leclerc was faster in his Ferrari. “The long runs looked pretty good, so I’m happy with that. We have to find a middle ground. It’s tough on the tires here and we’re clearly not over the balance yet. At least we know that the warm weather continues like this, so we also know how to continue working,” said the Limburger.
Faster
It is clear to Verstappen that it has to be faster with a view to the qualifying race on Saturday. The past has shown that a good starting position is important at the Barcelona circuit. The driver who starts from pole position usually also wins the race. In the second practice, the Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were also faster than Verstappen. “For that reason we have to work on the speed over one lap,” he said.
package
Red Bull is one of the few teams without a major ‘upgrade’ for the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari and Mercedes have made a substantial package of aerodynamic changes in the hope of finding more speed. Seven-time world champion Hamilton, who has not yet played a significant role in the championship this season, reacted enthusiastically to the progress. “We’re not the fastest yet, but we’re on our way. This is the first time we’ve been able to ride the straight without bouncing,” he said.
Hamilton has won the Spanish Grand Prix in the last five years. In 2016, Verstappen won and was the youngest ever winner of a Formula 1 race.
pit lane
In the L1 program Pitlane, presenter Sem Caelen and F1 analyst Xavier Maassen already look ahead to the Grand Prix next Sunday.