Verstappen can benefit from Red Bull’s smart choice, Norris shows alternative
Despite his complaints about the RB22, Max Verstappen is not behind his rivals in Brazil. The Dutchman finished third in both Friday practice sessions and was close to Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris on the long runs, Isack Hadjar also put together a competitive stint.
Max Verstappen displayed strong performances during the first two practice sessions at the Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing third in each of the Friday sessions and staying close to Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris in the latter. Although he was not as dominant as expected, Verstappen acknowledged there was still room for improvement, specifically mentioning downshifting issues and increasing steering heaviness.
Despite his complaints about the RB22, Verstappen's pace in the long runs gave Red Bull confidence in their work. Antonelli proved himself to be the fastest driver among the three with an average of 1:15.421 on the softs, just eight hundredths of a second faster than Verstappen over the same distance. However, his long stint and slower overall pace due to a limited number of laps make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.
Meanwhile, Norris revealed that McLaren also had potential on the hard tyre, averaging 1:15.497, almost on par with Verstappen's medium pace. This indicates that the hard tyre could be an intriguing option for the race, as Pirelli has moved the selection one step softer, with the C3 being the hard tyre. This information could prove beneficial for Red Bull's preparations, as both Verstappen and Antonelli performed well on the medium and soft compounds, respectively. Norris's strong showing on the hard tyre adds another layer of complexity to the team's strategy.
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