Not everything went according to plan for Red Bull during Friday’s practice at the Australian Grand Prix. While there were some positive signs regarding race pace, the team had to deal with technical problems and a challenging FP2 session for Max Verstappen.
The reigning world champion finished the first session third fastest with a time of 1:20.789 after completing 27 laps. In the second session, he ended sixth, setting a best time of 1:20.366 with only 13 laps completed.
Verstappen himself admitted the day wasn’t completely smooth. “In FP1 we managed to complete a good number of laps, while in FP2 we encountered some issues,” the Dutch driver explained. “We are working to find the right car setup. We struggled a bit with grip, and I even ended up in the gravel.”
This incident confirmed that the RB is not yet perfectly balanced on the Albert Park track. Despite this, Max Verstappen did not seem surprised by the level of competitiveness on display. “We didn’t have a completely clean day, but in terms of pace we are more or less where I expected. There’s still a lot of work to do, and we’ll analyze everything overnight to see what we can improve.”
Chief engineer Paul Monaghan also emphasized that the day was valuable for data collection, considering that the team used two cars equipped with the new Red Bull power unit for the first time during a race weekend. “Today we ran two cars with our power unit for the first time in a race weekend. Since everything is new, we are still gathering knowledge.”
The team did face some technical issues during the second session. “We had a problem with the electronic control unit on car number 3 (Verstappen) while it was in the pit lane. We managed to recover it, but then the car got stuck in gear. In the end, we fixed it, and Max returned to the track.”
Complicating matters further was Verstappen’s excursion into the gravel, although the Red Bull garage reassured that it was minor. “It was just a small moment, nothing that can’t be fixed.”
The team will now focus on analyzing the data collected to improve the car’s balance ahead of the third practice session and, more importantly, qualifying. “Our goal is to complete as many laps as possible and maximize qualifying performance,” Monaghan concluded.
With several teams running very close times, it remains difficult to predict who will truly lead the grid in Saturday’s qualifying. For Red Bull, however, the priority is clear: solve the issues that arose during the first Friday of the season and find the optimal setup for the RB.
Red Bull’s rocky start in Melbourne highlights the immense technical challenge of the 2026 regulations, where even the reigning champions are not immune to software glitches and balance issues. As Max Verstappen and his engineers work through the night to solve these “teething problems,” the focus remains on whether they can translate their raw theoretical pace into a stable platform for Sunday’s race.
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