F1 | Red Bull: Verstappen happy with updated RB21
Red Bull looks competitive heading into the sixteenth round of the Formula 1 season. At least, that is the impression following the first two free practice sessions of the Italian Grand Prix. Supporting this moderate optimism at the end of Friday in Monza is the performance of car number 22. Yuki Tsunoda placed his RB21 in the upper midfield, which serves as a reminder that evaluating the potential of the Milton Keynes car solely through Max Verstappen’s performance can sometimes be misleading.
McLaren the balance of power
It will inevitably be necessary to wait for McLaren to reveal its true potential to understand what is realistically achievable: competing for victory or being the best of the rest. This is without underestimating the two Ferrari SF-25s, which could shake up the order in their home race. Last year’s Italian Grand Prix was probably Max Verstappen’s lowest point of the season, forced once again to play catch-up.
The goal was clear: manage his significant lead in the Drivers’ Championship. This year, however, the weekend has started with a fairly satisfactory overall performance. In particular, the race pace shown during the second free practice session may not have been the fastest, but it was as always very consistent. Since it is unclear how much fuel each team carried, we will have to wait to fully understand the picture.
Nevertheless, the most reliable measure remains the consistency of lap times and the absence of sudden tyre degradation. Regarding single-lap performance, if all teams progress similarly, qualifying tomorrow will be extremely challenging. Consider that in FP2, the tenth-fastest lap was only four-tenths of a second slower than the best time. This means that even passing the Q2 cutoff could be a difficult task today.
Red Bull makes additional effort
Yesterday was certainly one of the best Fridays for the Austrian team, which has often been known to radically change the setup of the RB21 between Friday and Saturday due to problematic baseline setups or configurations not fully suited to the track. At Monza, it is likely they will be able to make progress thanks to a solid starting platform. This is based on what was observed during Friday’s sessions.
It should not be overlooked that the team led by Laurent Mekies, fully endorsed by Verstappen as the new team principal, introduced significant updates ahead of the Italian round that were not specifically tailored to the Monza circuit. The geometry of the floor, floor fences, and floor edges was revised. This effort demonstrates Red Bull’s intention to convince the world champion to continue betting on the team that has developed him and brought him to success.
Monza GP: Verstappen satisfied
In the usual post-session interviews, Max Verstappen appeared moderately satisfied. He noted that the car seems much more competitive compared to last year at Monza and expressed his overall contentment with his RB21. This assessment comes despite the sessions being fairly challenging due to multiple off-track excursions by other drivers, which brought significant amounts of gravel onto the racing line.
On one such occasion, the four-time world champion from the Netherlands experienced the sensation of driving on slick tyres in wet conditions. At least, that was his impression. This is a notable variable that could trigger multiple Safety Car interventions over the course of the 300-kilometre race. However, it could also present an opportunity if the Red Bull pit wall reacts as efficiently as it usually does.
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