Max Verstappen reflects on Friday’s performance in Jeddah with mixed feelings. The Dutch driver finished the second free practice in third place, behind the two McLaren drivers. Verstappen explains how Red Bull has ‘tried different things’ with the RB21, and that the long runs are still a point of concern. The Red Bull driver also observes that McLaren is once again ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest in Saudi Arabia.
Max Verstappen started Friday at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with a ninth-place time. During the second free practice, where the track conditions were more representative of the Grand Prix on Sunday, the Dutchman was much closer to his main competitor, McLaren. Verstappen finished the session with a third-place time, less than three-tenths behind the fastest man, Lando Norris.
“We tried many different things with the car,” Verstappen explains. “We tried a new direction, and we learned a lot from that. We’re still not where we want to be. However, I’m not looking at the gaps, in the end, you have to focus on your own feeling and the feeling in the car. It’s a bit better, but the long runs are still a bit difficult for us.”
The Dutchman is then asked to compare the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with the Bahrain circuit, where Red Bull had so many problems a week earlier. “It’s different, of course, because it’s a different circuit. The level of grip is also different, as are the settings. So it’s hard to compare. But it’s clear that we want to be faster.”
McLaren Stands Out
Finally, what are the four-time world champion’s expectations for Saturday in Jeddah? “It’s hard to say what’s possible tomorrow. McLaren is obviously head and shoulders above the rest, they’re very competitive. We still have some work to do and need to understand things better.”
