In Thursday’s FP2 session, Max Verstappen found himself finishing sixth, trailing half a second behind, in conditions akin to those expected for qualifying and the race. His teammate, Sergio Perez, followed three tenths behind in tenth place.
However, it was Mercedes that stole the limelight with a commanding 1-2 finish from Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. While acknowledging that Red Bull’s qualifying pace might not be as formidable as desired, Verstappen attributed the gap to Hamilton to lower engine modes being utilized.
Verstappen remarked, “I think it was not too bad, it was very close. Maybe some people around us already turned up the engine a bit in terms of top speed. I don’t say everyone around us did that but a few did, so I’m not too worried about the gap to P1, for example. But it’s going to be very close in qualifying, so that’s going to be very nice.”
When queried by Motorsport.com/Autosport about whether Red Bull was using less aggressive engine mapping compared to rivals, team advisor Marko concurred, adding, “Yes. Not everybody is using the same engine mapping, so we are not worried. Today it didn’t come as easy as during the tests. The long run was good, but qualifying will be very tight.”
Both Mercedes and Ferrari showcased impressive one-lap speeds, while Verstappen noted he hadn’t yet found the optimal balance for his RB20. Despite the anticipation surrounding a closely contested qualifying, Red Bull’s dominance in race simulations remained evident, a focal point for the team during grand prix weekends.
Verstappen elaborated, “There were a few little balance issues from front and rear, but nothing big. It’s just about trying to find that sweet spot.
Especially around here with the rough tarmac, once you find that sweet spot you just pick up time and that’s what we’ll try to focus on. It’s not too far away, just trying to get into it and feel a little bit happier with the car.
But you also want to focus a bit on the long run because that’s where the car really needs to work. Of course, qualifying is also important but we need to make sure the car is in good shape for the race.”
