Max Verstappen showed consistency with the sixth fastest time in both practice sessions in Bahrain on Friday. While it may come as a surprise that he didn’t top the timesheet, Verstappen remains unfazed.
“It didn’t go wrong,” Verstappen reassured, as reported on his official website. “It’s a tight competition. Some competitors have pushed their engines for more top speed.”
Throughout the practice sessions, Verstappen voiced concerns about the balance of the Red Bull RB20. Despite this, the three-time world champion remains optimistic about the team’s performance.
“We are focusing on our own improvements. The balance issues we encountered weren’t major. It’s about finding the sweet spot, especially on this rough asphalt track. Once we find it, we can make significant time gains. Overall, I’m pleased with the car and we concentrated more on long runs,” Verstappen explained.
“I’m not overly concerned about the time gap to P1. Qualifying is expected to be close, which is exciting. Additionally, I was satisfied with our long run performance,” he added.