Max Verstappen: “We have no grip”
Max Verstappen described the pace of his Red Bull on one lap as « far » from the required level after a complicated first day of testing for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which he finished in 17th place.
During the second free practice session, the defending world champion completed a lap on soft tires just before Alex Albon’s retirement caused a red flag. Later on, he could not improve his time, ending up two seconds behind the best lap time set by Lewis Hamilton.
Interviewed about this first day when Red Bull has not yet shown its potential, the Dutch driver replied: “Yes, it was slippery. I think we really struggled to get the tires working, especially on one lap. On long runs, I would say it was a bit more competitive at the start, but even then, we still need to fine-tune some things. On one lap, we are really far off. Obviously, the conditions here are quite unique, it is very cold, but in the end, it’s the same for everyone. We need to try to understand what we are doing wrong at the moment.”
When asked if he saw how to improve before the next session, he added: « To me, everything seems greatly linked to the tires. The balance of the car is not so bad, I think, but we simply lack grip. It’s like driving on ice right now. »
The same feeling for Sergio Perez.
Sergio Perez has experienced a similar situation, sharing his teammate’s comments and hoping that the team will find the right direction before the final tests. “I think we have work to do on a lap,” said the Mexican.
On long relays, it was a bit more promising, but we still have progress to make to really exploit the full potential, because we are not where we want to be. Especially on a single lap, I think we have work to do. We know that Saturday and the race are the most important here, and that overtaking is possible, but it will be crucial to have a good pace.
Regarding Red Bull’s specific difficulties on one lap, Sergio Perez explained: “Mainly the balance. In slow corners, the rear loses grip a lot. We have greatly reduced the rear wing downforce, which has made the slow corners quite difficult.”
Max Verstappen approaches the weekend with a lead of 62 points over Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings, which gives him a first opportunity to clinch the title. Red Bull, on the other hand, is in third place in the constructors’ championship, behind Ferrari and McLaren.
