Red Bull Racing’s usually dominant Formula 1 team hit some unexpected speed bumps during Friday’s practice sessions in Las Vegas, with even superstar Max Verstappen struggling to find his rhythm.
The three-time world champion ended up way down in 17th place during the second practice session – a pretty shocking position for a driver who’s won 17 races this year.
“We’re just not in the window with the tyres,” team boss Christian Horner explained. “It’s really all about tyres and temperatures – those are the make-or-break elements this weekend.”
The chilly Las Vegas weather isn’t helping. When temperatures drop, F1 cars get particularly finicky about their tire performance.
But Verstappen isn’t sweating it. The Dutch driver actually seemed pretty relaxed about the whole situation, pointing out that several other teams were dealing with similar issues.
He’s got good reason to stay confident. The Red Bull car showed much better pace during the longer practice runs, which matters more for actual race conditions.
There’s a lot at stake this weekend. If Verstappen finishes ahead of Lando Norris, he’ll lock up his fourth straight championship title.
His teammate Sergio Perez didn’t fare any better in practice, finishing 10th in the first session and dropping to 19th in the second.
“The long runs are looking okay,” Horner added. “We’ve got some things to clean up, but nothing we can’t handle.”
The team has one more practice session to sort things out before Saturday’s crucial qualifying session. Red Bull will need to find their usual speed if they want to maintain their dominant position in the constructors’ championship.
