Max Verstappen is present in the Red Bull garage.
Max Verstappen confirmed that Red Bull do believe an “electrical issue” was behind his early FP2 exit in Canada, as they now assess the “implications”.
Verstappen is looking to bounce back from a tough weekend in Monaco where he was restricted to a P6 finish, though encountered further frustration on Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix as his FP2 session, literally, went up in smoke.
Max Verstappen admits Canada FP2 woes ‘not ideal’
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
The leader of the World Championship had to limit their practice session to only four laps at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This was due to a problem with their smoking Red Bull RB20, which ultimately ended their session prematurely.
Red Bull has suspicions that the incident is connected to the Energy Recovery System, which Verstappen confirmed by stating that it was not the way he intended his FP2 session to unfold. Verstappen is now awaiting further information on the consequences as Red Bull conducts their investigation.
“I’m afraid I didn’t get to do many laps in FP2,” he lamented to the Formula 1 website.
They suspected an electrical issue, so I was instructed to leave the area while they investigate. Although I haven’t returned to the garage, I am confident that we will soon identify the problem.
“It’s not the best situation. I would have preferred to complete more laps. Certain individuals have had the opportunity to drive a few extra laps in dry conditions, as well as some additional laps in the wet.”
This is not the way I wanted to start FP2, but I believe it is crucial to understand what exactly occurred and how it will impact this weekend or the entire year.
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McLaren and Ferrari seem to have narrowed the gap on Red Bull in the F1 2024 season, as they have triumphed in four out of the first five races. Lando Norris from McLaren emerged victorious in Miami, while Charles Leclerc from Ferrari claimed the top spot in Monaco.
Verstappen acknowledges that he anticipates a more challenging competition this season in his bid to counter his potential title contenders. He acknowledges that the upcoming season will likely be tougher compared to 2023, where he achieved a remarkable feat of winning 19 out of 22 races.
In an interview with various media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, he expressed, “I was aware that this year would be different from the previous one.”
Having a season like that is quite uncommon, so I was aware from the beginning that this year would be somewhat distinct.
However, I don’t really dwell on my championship position or anything like that. With plenty of races remaining, I prefer to focus on each one individually.
Certain races are more favorable to us, while others may be slightly disadvantageous. However, in the grand scheme of things, everything ultimately balances out.
“The cars are now much closer in proximity. Certain cars excel on street circuits, while others perform better in high-speed or low-speed corners, causing slight variations in their overall performance.”
Verstappen takes a 31-point lead over Leclerc at the top of the Drivers’ Championship into the Canadian Grand Prix.
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