Max Verstappen pinpoints two critical factors for Red Bull improvement

Max Verstappen wants Red Bull to focus on one-lap pace and long-run tyre understanding after a solid but unexceptional opening day at the Spanish GP. The four-time champion finished fifth in FP1 and sixth in FP2, as Mercedes set the pace on the new Madrid circuit.

Why it matters:

The RB22's balance issues could cost Red Bull in qualifying and the race. With Mercedes looking strong, finding overnight gains is crucial for Verstappen to stay in contention.

The details:

• Verstappen was 0.4s behind Kimi Antonelli in FP2 and 0.6s adrift of George Russell in FP1.
• He complained of a "loose" car on corner exits and "weird understeer" mid-corner, even telling the team: "Car is still loose… I need the other wing" as they tested rear wing setups.
• Despite that, his verdict was measured: "Not too bad, just trying to find a little bit more pace over one lap, trying to understand the tyres a little bit more in the long run."
• The Madring's first F1 weekend brought extra chaos: traffic in FP1, with Lewis Hamilton at the centre of impeding complaints, and a red flag in FP2 after Arvid Lindblad's crash at Turn 13.

What's next:

Verstappen wants a clean FP3 to build confidence before qualifying. "It will always help if you have a clean one compared to a messy one," he said. "But we'll see if we can find a little bit more performance in the car."