Max Verstappen encouraged by Red Bull’s opening day at Sepang
Max Verstappen described his opening day at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia as “positive” after Red Bull showed competitive pace in challenging conditions at Sepang. The Dutch driver was fastest in first practice, but ended the second session fourth after Red Bull elected not to complete a soft-tyre run.
Verstappen entered the weekend looking to convert his recent pace into a victory. He narrowly missed out on his first win of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the previous weekend and had said during Thursday’s media day that he hoped to win before the campaign ends.
Although Verstappen’s FP2 position was lower than his first-practice result, his pace on the medium compound remained encouraging. The session took place in high track temperatures, with significant tyre degradation affecting the teams’ programmes.
“I think we had a decent start, but it’s tricky,”
Verstappen explained after FP2.
“The track is really hot, a lot of degradation, so a lot of things to figure out but it’s been positive.”
Asked whether Red Bull had made clear progress during the day, Verstappen pointed to the changing conditions and differing test programmes between the two sessions.
“I mean, progress is difficult. It was warmer again in FP2, different programmes, so hard to say progress, but there’s still a lot of things to look at to try and understand better.”
Why Red Bull skipped a soft-tyre run in FP2
Verstappen confirmed that he had not used the soft tyre during the second practice session. With rain forecast, he chose to prioritise a long run and gather information that could prove more valuable for the remainder of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
“I wanted to do a long run in case there was some rain coming.”
Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache provided further insight into the decision. He said the team wanted to protect its long-run programme while collecting medium-tyre data, which Red Bull did not yet have at the circuit.
“I think we had a little bit of an issue with the car and the rain coming,”
Wache said.
“The forecast said the rain will come, then we didn’t want to compromise the long run that I think is the most important thing for this weekend, in terms of degradation and to see how the tyre behaves, and especially the medium because we didn’t have data on the medium.”
“We favoured that, and after it was too late to run the soft.”
Red Bull sees improvement from its Baku package
Wache said Red Bull had approached the weekend cautiously because the team wanted to assess an updated package introduced at Baku on a circuit featuring different corner characteristics. Despite the difficulty of judging the competitive order after only two practice sessions, he said the car appeared to be functioning better than its previous configuration.
“We were not very optimistic, to be honest, starting the weekend. The main aspect for us was to evaluate the package we put in Baku, in different types of corner than low speed.”
“It looks [to be] working better than the previous package. Relative performance is difficult to judge here, but we were surprisingly happy with where we were today.”
Asked how Red Bull compared with its main rivals, Wache said the picture remained unclear. He nevertheless identified Mercedes and McLaren as particularly strong over longer runs.
“difficult to say”
Wache said when assessing Red Bull’s position against its rivals, adding that
“clearly Mercedes and McLaren also looked quite quick on the long run”.
Rain could reshape the Bahrain Grand Prix strategy
Rain is expected to remain a possibility during every day and session of the weekend, adding another variable to tyre selection and race strategy. Wache said Red Bull has limited experience of running the current car in wet conditions, making its performance difficult to predict.
“There’s a chance of rain every day, every session,”
the Frenchman said.
“We’ve never run in the rain properly. The first time we ran in the rain was in Barcelona [Shakedown].”
Red Bull therefore does not yet know how its revised package will behave if the circuit becomes wet. Wache suggested that uncertainty could create opportunities for teams willing to take strategic risks.
“The car evolved a lot. We don’t know how the car will behave around this condition – it’s a surprise. I hope it will give us a little bit some gamble in terms of strategy and how to play with. Let’s see where we are.”
Why This Matters
Red Bull’s first-day programme at Sepang highlights the importance of balancing outright qualifying pace with long-run tyre information. Verstappen led FP1, but the team sacrificed a soft-tyre comparison in FP2 to study medium-compound degradation and prepare for possible rain. That data could become especially important if changing conditions disrupt the normal practice-to-race preparation process.
The weekend also represents a significant test of the package Red Bull introduced in Baku. Wache’s assessment that it is working better than the previous version offers an early indication of progress, although Mercedes and McLaren appeared competitive on longer runs and the overall order remains difficult to judge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Max Verstappen perform at Sepang?
Verstappen was fastest in first practice and finished fourth in FP2. He did not use the soft tyre during the second session, instead focusing on a medium-tyre long run.
Why did Red Bull avoid the soft tyre in FP2?
Red Bull prioritised a long run because rain was forecast and the team wanted more information about medium-tyre degradation and behaviour. By the time conditions allowed a soft-tyre run, it was too late in the session.
Could rain affect the Bahrain Grand Prix?
Yes. Pierre Wache said there was a chance of rain in every session over the weekend. Red Bull has limited wet-weather running with its evolved car, so the conditions could influence both performance and strategy.
