Red Bull finished relatively low on the timesheets compared to where one might expect them, with Max Verstappen highest in P8 at the end of the second practice session. This was after finishing just behind the two Mercs in the earlier morning session.
However, Verstappen says that his times in the second, more important, session didn’t mean much as he broke his new-spec front wing on the kerbs during his flying lap. Last year’s Austrian Grand Prix winner ran over the kerbs at Turn 4, breaking his wing, as Carlos Sainz did earlier in the day in his McLaren.
“The lap times don’t really say anything because I broke my front wing on the push lap, so we had to fit a different wing.” Verstappen explained.
“I think we were a little too aggressive for that and I had a spin and a little off, but nothing major. The kerbs are what they are here and it’s the same for everyone, the front wing doesn’t really like the yellow kerbs so we do have to be careful.”
Despite the slight setback, Verstappen says he’s confident that the team are competitive: “It felt good to be back in the car and after a few laps you are quite easily back into the rhythm. Overall it was a positive day, the car was handling well and I’m pleased with the number of laps we did which is really important after such a long break. We are I think confident and there are always things we can do better but overall it was a good day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Alex Albon finished in P13 in the second Red Bull, having clocked up 47 laps during the afternoon. He had a mild spin during the session, losing the rear end out of Turn 1. He said the team have some small issues to address, but he’s similarly confident of making progress during the weekend.
