Max Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull “overdid it” with its setup changes ahead of Friday’s second practice at the Monaco Grand Prix, a misstep he says “shattered a lot of pace” from his RB21.
After placing inside the top five in FP1, the reigning World Champion slumped to 10th in FP2, complaining of a car that no longer let him attack the corners as he needed. Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda was just behind in 11th.
With Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc dominating both sessions and McLaren hot on the Monegasque’s heels, Verstappen’s hopes for a competitive showing in the Principality now hinge on a Saturday recovery, though he remains wary of the circuit’s unique challenges and persistent traffic woes.
Setup Overreach Costs Pace
“I think FP1 was quite positive, but then we made some changes for FP2 to see how far basically we could push the balance, and I think we just overdid it a little bit,” Verstappen told Sky F1.
“So then I couldn’t really attack the corners anymore how I would like, and then you’re just like shattering a lot of pace, and then that time was basically not coming out of it.”
The tweaks, aimed at optimizing the RB21’s balance for Monaco’s low-speed corners, instead left Verstappen and Tsunoda struggling, a stark contrast to their earlier competitiveness.
Despite the setback, Verstappen remains optimistic.
“I don’t expect us to be the quickest. We want to be, of course, a lot closer than what we were in FP2, but I’m also quite confident that we can be a lot closer.” Ferrari and McLaren Set the Pace
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Verstappen acknowledged the formidable pace of rivals Ferrari and McLaren, who dominated Friday’s sessions.
“But Ferrari, again, looks very, very fast,” he said. “I mean, the McLarens were quite close behind, but if you see over the whole season the pace, I think Ferrari, again, took a big step forward here.”
Leclerc’s home heroics and McLaren’s consistent top-five finishes in both sessions underscored Red Bull’s challenge, especially given Verstappen’s pre-weekend admission that Monaco would be “damage limitation” for a car less suited to low-speed circuits.
With qualifying critical on such an overtaking-averse track, Red Bull’s setup rethink is urgent.
Traffic Troubles Add to Frustrations
Compounding the four-time world champion’s woes were multiple traffic incidents, including a near-miss with Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto in FP1.
“Well, I mean, Monaco is always quite tricky with traffic,” he explained. “But I think two times today it was quite dangerous, I would say, in FP1 and then one time in FP2, which is not ideal.
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As Red Bull scrambles to dial back their setup for Saturday’s crucial sessions, Verstappen’s focus is on clawing back pace to challenge Ferrari and McLaren.
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