Max Verstappen didn’t hold back in his assessment of his performance during Friday’s Practice sessions at the F1 Australian Grand Prix, candidly admitting that it was a “messy” day for him.
This acknowledgment may well serve as motivation for his competitor, Charles Leclerc, who topped the timesheets in Melbourne ahead of Verstappen.
During the first two practice sessions, the Red Bull driver found himself trailing Leclerc. His difficulties were compounded when he encountered floor damage, causing him to miss the initial 25 minutes of FP2. As a result, he ended up 0.381 seconds behind his Ferrari counterpart.
Friday’s performance in Australia marked a rare instance of vulnerability for Verstappen, who has otherwise been dominant since the start of the 2024 F1 season.
Reflecting on his start to the third round of the season, he explained to Sky Sports, “Unfortunately a little bit messy because of what happened in FP1.
“I went wide, damaged the floor and also the chassis. It took a little bit longer to fix that unfortunately so I lost about 20 minutes.
“I do think the turnaround was very quick, what we did as a team, so I more or less completed the program still.
“Long run I would have liked maybe a few more laps but with missing 20 minutes, that’s how it goes.
“I think it was alright.”
Verstappen evaluated his competitors: “I think Ferrari is quick but I think from our side, there are also a few more things that we can fine-tune.
“So nothing crazy, nothing worrying, I think we just need to fine-tune a little bit the car.”
It’s worth mentioning that Carlos Sainz, Leclerc’s teammate at Ferrari, returned to action from appendix surgery and posted the third-fastest time behind Verstappen.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull, Sergio Perez, secured the eighth position.
Red Bull has clinched two 1-2 finishes in the opening two grands prix of the season, putting Verstappen on track for his fourth consecutive F1 championship.
However, Ferrari’s strong showing on Friday indicates that Verstappen will face stiff competition, particularly from the renowned Italian manufacturer, in the battle for pole position on Saturday.
Ferrari, the only team apart from Red Bull to secure a Grand Prix victory last year, seems poised to challenge Red Bull’s dominance.
