Max Verstappen has now fired Red Bull a ‘very easy’ warning about a ‘very difficult’ situation that dogged the Formula 1 champion’s practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old found himself down the timesheets over both practice sessions this Friday as F1 returned to the Principality. Verstappen could only manage the 11th fastest lap time in FP1 with a 1:12.984 and stayed half a second off the pace, despite climbing to fourth, in FP2.
Ferrari star Charles Leclerc set the pace at the 26-year-old’s home race with a 1:11.278 lap in FP2. Verstappen would only post a 1:11.813 to trail Lewis Hamilton (1:11.466) and Fernando Alonso (1:11.753). The Red Bull driver could never quite match the Monegasque’s lap times.
Max Verstappen warns Red Bull it is ‘very easy’ for one bounce to ruin his Monaco GP
Verstappen moved close to Leclerc’s initial pace on Pirelli’s medium tyres once Red Bull gave the Dutchman the soft tyres. But the home hero rebuilt his advantage once on the softs. The deficit he faced to Leclerc even saw Verstappen begin to push the limits and touch the walls.
The three-time reigning champion aborted an attempt to improve his lap time after the rear of his Red Bull tagged the barriers at Portier. Many drivers made slight contact with the walls around Monte Carlo. But Verstappen never felt at home with his Red Bull at the Monaco GP.
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Bouncing proved particularly problematic for Verstappen, who has bemoaned the RB20 ‘not really doing what you want’ around Monaco. He has even warned Red Bull that it would be ‘very easy’ for a hop to send Verstappen into the walls and, possibly, out of the Monaco GP.
“I actually had a lot of fun driving,” Verstappen said, via quotes by RacingNews365. “It was good but just very difficult when the car is not really doing what you want around here.
“With the bumps, it is very easy to add one extra jump and you are already [in] the wall. In that sense, it was maybe a good lesson that we can fine-tune that to know when the car jumps and bounces.
“But I knew coming into the weekend that it was going to be very difficult. And in that way, I am not surprised to see Ferrari so quick.”
Max Verstappen will hope to repeat his recovery at the Emilia Romagna GP
Verstappen will hope Red Bull find the answer for his bouncing ahead of FP3 and qualifying for the Monaco GP. The driver who topped the FP2 timesheets for the past five editions of the race have gone on to take pole position. So, Leclerc will fancy his chances of sealing P1.
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But the Ferrari driver should not write Verstappen out of contention for pole at the Monaco GP yet. The Dutchman also did not feel at home with his RB20 through practice at the Emilia Romagna GP last week. Yet the 59-time Grand Prix winner still sealed pole and won the race.
Verstappen and Red Bull struggled to find the right balance to tackle Imola through practice for the Emilia Romagna GP. But when the time came in qualifying, he topped Q1, Q2 and Q3 to take pole position. Verstappen further edged Oscar Piastri for pole by only 0.074 seconds.
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