Verstappen Faces Challenges with Upgraded Red Bull at Imola
World Champion Max Verstappen struggled to find a comfortable balance with his upgraded Red Bull RB20 during the practice sessions at the Imola circuit, leaving the Dutchman concerned about the team’s competitiveness for the upcoming qualifying and race.
Verstappen’s frustration was evident throughout the day, as he frequently voiced his concerns over the RB20’s unpredictable handling characteristics on the radio. Despite the introduction of a new front wing, revised floor, and rear bodywork tweaks, the triple world champion ended the first practice session in fifth and slipped to seventh in the second, over half a second behind Ferrari’s pace-setter Charles Leclerc.
“A difficult day. Just difficult to get a good balance and just not really feeling comfortable in the car, moving around a lot,” Verstappen told F1 TV. “It’s very easy to lose the car, so we have a few things that we have to look at because today definitely…. just bad, just not comfortable.”
Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was next up in eighth, a further tenth behind the Dutchman, indicating a broader struggle for the Red Bull team on the technical Italian venue’s second sector.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Verstappen expressed his concerns about the lack of pace, stating, “Today we were just severely off the pace that we need to fix.” When asked if he was confident the team could turn things around for Saturday, the reigning champion quipped, “I guess it can’t be worse than what we had today, right?”
The frustration was not limited to the car’s performance, as Verstappen also found himself at odds with Lewis Hamilton during the session. The Briton impeded Verstappen through the Villeneuve chicane before Tosa, leading to the Dutchman furiously gesturing to his rival as he pulled up alongside the Mercedes.
“It’s not the first time,” Verstappen said about Hamilton blocking him. “You try to, of course, always stay calm about it. But yeah, it happened again.”
As the teams head into the crucial qualifying and race days, Red Bull will be working hard to address the issues that plagued Verstappen’s performance during the practice sessions, in hopes of returning to the front of the grid and challenging for victory at the Artiem Audax.
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