Max Verstappen gave a less-than-positive assessment after the second free practice session for the Australian GP at the Albert Park circuit, stating that Red Bull is not among the favorites to win. The four-time world champion remains calm but acknowledges that it will be a tough weekend.
In the first free practice session, the Dutchman set the fifth-fastest time, behind Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. In FP2, he finished seventh, about six-tenths behind leader Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.
Max Verstappen particularly complained about a nervous car, similar to what was seen in Bahrain testing. “The balance wasn’t even that bad. There weren’t major issues. But, for some strange reason, we just couldn’t find grip on the track,” he told F1 TV.
“I was struggling on all four tires, in both the first and last sectors. That means we’re not in the fight at the moment,” he stated.
Max Verstappen clarified that the main issue is not balance but something else that “I think will be a bit difficult to fix.” – the Dutchman pointed out.
“It’s nothing I wasn’t expecting coming here, so I’m neither positively nor negatively surprised by the race pace. We’re missing something to get back to the top. We need to make sure we find that extra bit of speed,” he concluded.
Max Verstappen wraps up Friday’s free practice in Australia with a philosophical approach, for now ruling out a Red Bull fight for victory. However, everything could change, as rain is expected in Melbourne on Sunday, which could throw all predictions into doubt.
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