Verstappen had a problem with a new part in his Red Bull car during Friday’s second practice session. This could cause him trouble later if he uses too many parts and gets penalties.
In the qualifying session in Montreal, Verstappen did better than he expected. He had the same time as George Russell from Mercedes, even though the track wasn’t great for Red Bull. But Verstappen thinks Red Bull needs to fix its problems quickly because other teams are getting stronger and putting more pressure on them.
“We had too many problems this weekend,” Verstappen said about the engine issue. “We always try to prevent these things, but right now, it’s not going well.”
The Monaco Grand Prix was tough for Red Bull. Verstappen finished sixth, and his teammate Sergio Perez also struggled. Red Bull’s car didn’t handle well on bumps and kerbs.
Mercedes showed a lot of speed in Canada, and Russell’s pole position showed that. Verstappen was happy with second place but knew Mercedes could have been even faster.
“Mercedes was faster than us in Q2, so there’s more speed there,” Verstappen said. “It’s better that Mercedes is ahead of us than Ferrari because Ferrari is closer to us in the championship. But we need to focus on our performance and not worry too much about the competition.”
Red Bull has struggled to find the right setup for their car recently. They had a hard time in Imola, but they improved before qualifying.
“It’s been tough to make our car feel good,” Verstappen said. “It seems like other teams find it easier. We need to work on that.”
While Verstappen has dealt with some of the car’s problems, Perez had a tough time in qualifying, struggling with rear grip and getting knocked out in the first session.
