Verstappen Encouraged by Red Bull's Friday Pace at Spa Despite Power Unit Limits

Max Verstappen offered a measured take on Red Bull's Friday at Spa-Francorchamps after a stronger-than-expected start. The Dutchman went fastest in FP1, suggesting the RB22 is finally in a decent operating window, but he insisted FP2 provided a more honest picture of where the team stands.

Why it matters:

Spa's long straights expose power unit weaknesses, and Red Bull has grappled with electrical efficiency recently. Understanding whether the team can genuinely compete or merely flattered in FP1 shapes the entire weekend. Verstappen's feedback suggests the car is balanced but lacks straight-line pace compared to Mercedes, a deficit that could decide qualifying and the race.

The details:

• Verstappen topped FP1, an encouraging sign that Red Bull found a workable setup early.
• He finished nearly half a second behind Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes in FP2, which Verstappen called a more representative benchmark.
• The Dutchman still feels the RB22's electrical shortcomings on Spa's long straights, hurting energy management and straight-line speed.
• Verstappen described the downshift feeling as "unacceptable" over the radio, later explaining it stemmed from a software update needing time to learn.
• Red Bull is running a conventional rear wing this weekend after shelving its rotating "Macarena" wing following crashes at Spielberg and Silverstone.

What's next:

Red Bull aims to bring back the modified rotating rear wing at the Hungarian Grand Prix. For now, the focus shifts to optimizing energy deployment and fixing the downshift software to maintain the promising balance Verstappen found on Friday. The Dutchman remains cautious, but the early signs suggest Red Bull is pointed in the right direction.