Max Verstappen Expresses Concerns Over Red Bull’s Performance at Imola Grand Prix
Max Verstappen, the reigning World Champion, voiced his disappointment after a challenging day for Red Bull during the Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix’s free practice sessions at Imola. The Dutch driver ended FP1 in seventh place, trailing behind Oscar Piastri by three tenths of a second. In FP2, he managed to climb to fifth but remained four tenths behind the leading Australian driver.
Despite bringing aerodynamic adjustments to the Red Bull car, aiming to narrow the gap to McLaren, who dominated both practice sessions, Verstappen remained critical of the team’s performance. He mentioned trying various setups to improve the RB21 but admitted that they are currently not meeting his high standards. Verstappen expressed, “We tried a lot of bits. Some were better than others, but overall not fast enough at the moment.”
When questioned about the new grippier C6 compound tire provided by Pirelli for the race, Verstappen expressed little confidence in the car’s performance, stating, “At the moment not very high. We definitely need a bit more work to get a better true corner balance, to go faster.” He further highlighted the struggle during long runs, as he was overtaken by McLaren drivers, indicating the team’s performance was lacking compared to their rivals.
Verstappen’s demeanor in the Red Bull garage reflected his dissatisfaction with the day’s results, signaling potential challenges for the team at the Imola circuit. As Ferrari struggled in the second practice session, Red Bull’s performance concerns add further intrigue to the upcoming Grand Prix weekend.
