Max Verstappen left the opening day of running at Monza in a more positive mood than expected, with Red Bull showing stronger pace than feared ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman, who scored a podium at his home race in Zandvoort last weekend, carried that momentum into Friday’s practice sessions at the Temple of Speed.
He finished fourth in the opening session and sixth in the afternoon’s running, ending FP2 just 0.199s adrift of Lando Norris’s benchmark in a tightly packed field.
Despite grip issues and tricky conditions with gravel being dragged onto the circuit, Verstappen said he was encouraged by Red Bull’s progress compared to last year’s painful outing at Monza, where he finished a distant sixth.
“It’s been quite decent. Last year was a difficult weekend for us and I think we seem a lot more competitive,” he noted, reflecting on his day.
“I’ve been happier with the car as well. The sessions have been quite tricky with people going off and putting gravel on the track. But overall, it’s been quite a decent Friday for us.”
Marko: “We hope to fight for the win”
Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko echoed Verstappen’s optimism, suggesting that the reigning champion might even be in the hunt for victory come Sunday – provided rivals don’t find another gear.
Marko highlighted the team’s progress, calling it “an incredible increase compared to last year” before adding: “We hope to fight with some others for the win. If McLaren doesn’t show up with something extra tomorrow.”
©RedBull
Marko was particularly pleased with Verstappen’s race pace.
“Very impressive,” he said of the long runs, while admitting that Red Bull had “still a lot to do” in terms of qualifying performance. Even so, he underlined that the team was “very, very satisfied”, especially with tyre wear.
“We only need more traction on the soft tyre, but that I think we can achieve without changing the wing position,” he said.
With Verstappen buoyed by Friday’s progress and Marko refusing to rule out a shock win at a circuit not traditionally favorable to Red Bull, the stage is set for a fascinating qualifying battle on Saturday.
Read also:
Jos Verstappen hits out at Perez Sr: ‘What an idiot!'
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
