Max Verstappen: “Ferrari is light years away, I just want to try and solve the problems we have”
Red Bull had a difficult Friday in Monaco, finishing only 11th and 12th in FP1. Max Verstappen complained on several occasions about the car's behavior, particularly on kerbs and bumps.
Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez had a difficult first day of testing on Friday at the Monaco Grand Prix, marked by setup issues, complaints on the radio, and several close encounters with the barriers.
During the first free practice sessions, Verstappen and Perez only managed to finish 11th and 12th, respectively, having set their best times on medium tyres. Despite switching to soft tyres for FP2, the two drivers only achieved 4th and 8th places in the standings.
Verstappen expressed his frustration on the radio, describing his RB20 as “jumping like a kangaroo”, while hitting the wall several times, notably at Mirabeau Bas corner.
Demanding track conditions
« I don’t even think I can describe what is really happening. It’s just very difficult », Verstappen said at the end of the day. He added that the Monaco track, with its many bumps, curbs, and changes in camber, made driving the car extremely complicated. « Whenever we pass over them, we lose a lot of time per lap, simply because the car doesn’t absorb them well », he explained.
The Dutchman emphasized that there was no clear solution in sight for the rest of the weekend. These types of problems cannot be solved with adjustments. It’s the way the car is manufactured and designed, and these things cannot be changed overnight, he said. Consequently, the Dutch driver does not expect miracles for qualifying and the race.
Perez echoed his teammate’s comments on Red Bull’s current balance and the pace of their rivals. « It’s going to be tough »,” he said about the upcoming weekend. “Our limitations are really hard to overcome at the moment, as is the behavior of the car. We will see what we can come up with later tonight. »
The Mexican also acknowledged the impressive performance of the other teams, notably Ferrari. “I think Ferrari is currently simply out of reach – I think they are really, really strong,” he added.
In search of solutions
The two Red Bull drivers are well aware of the challenges to be met for the rest of the weekend. “We will try to improve it a bit, but I do not expect miracles,” said Verstappen, before adding: “[Ferrari] is light-years ahead. I am not even thinking about that for tomorrow, I just want to try to solve the problems we have, try to make the car a bit more manageable, and then we will see where we stand.”
As for Perez, he hopes that adjustments could bring them closer to the top. « We have some elements that we need to improve, then hope that this will put us back in the race », he stated.
