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Max Verstappen Optimistic Despite Challenges at Saudi Arabian GP Practice

Red Bull Racing appears to have made progress in terms of one-lap pace during practice for the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but Max Verstappen admitted that overall performance during long runs is still lacking. After a somewhat disappointing ninth place in the first practice session, Verstappen secured third in FP2, trailing the McLarens by just over a quarter of a second during his soft tire run.

Given the smoother surface and reduced tire degradation expected at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, there was optimism that Red Bull’s RB21 would handle race-style long runs with greater efficiency. However, the four-time world champion expressed that the longer stints remain a challenge for the team, despite experimentation with various setups throughout the two practice sessions.

“We tried some different things with the car, trying to find maybe a different direction with it, and I think we learned a lot from it,” Verstappen said. “It’s still not where I want it to be; personally I don’t really look at the gaps, but at the end of the day you have to go from your own feeling and what you feel in the car over one lap. It’s a bit better, but in long runs, they were very tough for us.”

Verstappen remains hopeful for improvements in the final tuning before the qualifying session, noting the significant gap to McLaren. Lando Norris set the pace in FP2 with a time of 1m28.267s, which outstripped Verstappen by 0.28 seconds. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was also showing competitive speed until he crashed into the wall at the closing stages of FP2, adding further pressure on the team.

“It’s a different feeling compared to Bahrain due to the unique characteristics of the track and its grip levels, but the setup is also entirely different, making it difficult to draw direct comparisons,” Verstappen commented. He added that while McLaren continues to showcase strong performance, Red Bull has substantial work ahead to understand and address their current limitations.

Photos from Saudi Arabian GP – Practice

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