Max Verstappen delivered a characteristically sharp response after Arvid Lindblad finished ahead of him in FP2 at the Madrid Grand Prix, while also making it clear that Formula 1’s new Madring street circuit has done little to change his preference for traditional venues such as Spa-Francorchamps.
The four-time world champion ended Friday’s second practice session in sixth place for Red Bull, around two tenths behind the impressive Lindblad. The Racing Bulls driver finished fourth despite a heavy crash that brought his session to an early conclusion, putting him two positions ahead of Verstappen on the timesheets.
Max Verstappen gives blunt response to Arvid Lindblad comparison
When it was pointed out during Formula 1’s official post-session interview that Lindblad had finished ahead of him, Max Verstappen appeared less than enthusiastic about making a direct comparison between the two performances.
“I don’t drive that car, so I don’t know how fast it is,” Verstappen replied. “But from our side, we are more or less where we expected to be. I just need to work a little bit on the set-up and try to get a bit more out of the single lap, and then see how the tyres hold up over the long run, but I think everyone is more or less in the same situation.”
Red Bull’s position in Madrid therefore appears broadly in line with Verstappen’s expectations after the opening day, although the Dutchman believes there is still work to do before qualifying, particularly over a single lap. The RB22 has presented him with a difficult challenge throughout 2026, with Red Bull’s current car proving difficult for Verstappen to exploit consistently.
Max Verstappen still not convinced by Madrid street circuit
Verstappen was even less talkative when asked for his verdict on Formula 1’s new Madring circuit, which hosts the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time this season. His initial assessment amounted to little more than an unenthusiastic “Yeah”.
When the interviewer attempted to explore his opinion further, Verstappen explained that his reaction was not particularly specific to Madrid. Rather, the circuit belongs to a category of tracks he has never especially enjoyed.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not a fan of street circuits and that will never change,” Verstappen said. “I will always prefer driving on a track like Spa. I mean, for how they have built everything here, I think they have done a really great job, but I’m not a fan of street circuits.”
Madrid leaves Verstappen with work to do before qualifying
The comments underline the distinction Verstappen makes between the quality of the new Madrid venue and the type of circuit he personally enjoys driving. He acknowledged that the organisers had done an excellent job with Madring, but that praise did not alter his long-standing preference for permanent, traditional circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps.
On track, his immediate priority remains improving the Red Bull set-up. Sixth place in FP2 left Verstappen behind Lindblad on Friday’s timesheets, but the Dutchman stressed that comparing the two cars directly is difficult and instead focused on extracting more performance over one lap and understanding tyre behaviour over longer runs ahead of qualifying and the race.
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