Verstappen fears Red Bull ‘not quick enough’ as title-deciding weekend begins in Abu Dhabi

Friday’s practice sessions for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix left Max Verstappen feeling satisfied with his Red Bull’s setup, but he thinks that their car is not currently quick enough to compete for the top positions.

Going into this final race of the season, he is currently 12 points behind Lando Norris of McLaren and will need a big points leap to secure his fifth consecutive championship.

Verstappen Reflects on Day, Admits Pace Still Needs Improvement

In reviewing his day, in which he finished 0.363 seconds behind Norris, four-time champion Verstappen said, “I’m satisfied with my current performance and I am happy with my car performance. I am looking for a bit more speed than what I had today.”

“The speed is not the issue. I am happy with my speed for this event. Overall, I had a good experience. I believe I am now in a better range to be more competitive here.”

Verstappen Highlights Ongoing RB21 Ride Issues Ahead of Saturday

Max Verstappen revealed that he and the rest of the Red Bull team have been struggling with their car, the RB21, due to very rough ride quality and excessive bouncing. He admitted that both FP1 and FP2 were similar, as far as car setup and ride quality were concerned.

“The ride quality of the RB21 is an ongoing battle for us, but that is nothing new,” said Verstappen. He then wondered if it might be possible for the team to improve the setup of the car and provide him with a better performance for Saturday’s qualifying session.

Verstappen Focused on Improving Both Single-Lap and Long-Run Pace

“We currently have a sizable gap to bridge, but we will do our best to put out the most competitive machine we can,” said Verstappen. “We will evaluate what we gain overnight.”

Pressed on whether time needs to be found across both short and long runs, or if he thinks he will be in the fight over one lap, he replied: “No, no. Single lap and long run needs to be better.”