- Max Verstappen secured second and third place during Friday’s practice runs in Austin, trailing pacesetter Charles Leclerc by under two-tenths of a second in both sessions.
- GPS telemetry reveals that while Red Bull holds a straight-line advantage, Ferrari’s Leclerc dominates the low-speed corners including Turn 1, Turn 11, and the Turn 12–16 complex.
- Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache identified low-speed cornering and handling severe track bumps as the team’s top setup challenges ahead of qualifying.
Red Bull Evaluates Friday Practice Pace at Circuit of the Americas
Max Verstappen kicked off his track activity at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix by finishing Friday’s two practice sessions in second and third place. In each of the 60-minute outings at the Circuit of the Americas, the four-time world champion trailed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who set the benchmark time in both FP1 and FP2, by less than two tenths of a second. While Red Bull did not establish an overwhelming initial advantage over the rest of the field in the manner it demonstrated at venues like Malaysia, Verstappen expressed broad satisfaction with the foundational pace shown by the RB22 in Texas.
It’s been a positive start to the weekend. This track is never easy when it comes to finding the right compromise between the low and high-speed corners,
the Dutchman said after FP2. The bumps make it even more difficult, so you’re trying to find a good balance in the car and get into a rhythm. That’s what we’ve been working on between FP1 and FP2. There’s still a bit more work to do to fine-tune that balance, but it wasn’t a bad day at all.
Telemetry Highlights Red Bull and Ferrari Strengths in Austin
Engineering teams face a dual compromise when dialing in mechanical and aerodynamic settings across the diverse sectors of the Austin layout. The first challenge involves balancing aerodynamic load between high-speed sweeping sections and tight, low-speed turns. According to GPS data, Red Bull matches up competitively against rivals through high-speed complexes, prompting technical director Pierre Wache to focus Red Bull’s engineering efforts on slower parts of the circuit.
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It’s clearly the low speed performance that we are focused on at the moment. Low speed is the key for us,
said the Frenchman.
This deficit is distinctly visible when mapping the best laps recorded by Charles Leclerc, Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli, and Verstappen. The slowest turns at the Circuit of the Americas are heavily dominated by Ferrari. Leclerc consistently gained time on the brakes and through corner exit at Turn 1, repeating that performance delta at the slow left-handed Turn 11 prior to the back straight. Although Verstappen pulled nearly a tenth ahead of Leclerc just before braking at the end of the long straight—with Antonelli running over two tenths clear—the Dutchman surrendered substantial lap time through the technical sequence running from Turn 12 to Turn 16.
Managing Circuit Bumps Under Current Technical Regulations
Beyond navigating the split between fast and slow corners, engineers must balance outright performance against track surface compliance. The aggressive undulations in Austin present a major obstacle, with Verstappen having characterized the bumps as unacceptable
and out of control
during Thursday’s media commitments.
The car reacts to those bumps how you would expect, it’s jumping a lot,
Wache said when asked how the RB22 is dealing with the track conditions. The track is massively bumpy, especially at Turn 1 under braking. You have to be very careful. But yeah, that’s the problem with this type of set-up that we are using. It is not as stiff as last year, but also not so far [away from that]. The car is not very compliant on the bumps here.
Wache clarified that this compromise is dictated by the broader setup demands of the current generation of Formula 1 machinery rather than Red Bull’s proprietary configuration alone. While these cars were theoretically anticipated to cope more comfortably over bumps than previous ground-effect designs, Verstappen noted that real-world performance has diverged from expectations. Through the application of active aerodynamics and straight mode, the platform elevates slightly at maximum straight-line velocities to mitigate plank and skid block wear. This aerodynamic shift enables teams to lower the static ride height, leaving cars exceptionally low and stiff under heavy braking and cornering—the exact phases where the Austin circuit proves most unforgiving.
Why This Matters
The setup battle between Red Bull and Ferrari highlights how dynamic aerodynamic configurations interact with uneven circuit infrastructure. With Red Bull holding an edge in straight-line acceleration and Ferrari controlling the slow-speed braking zones, qualifying at the United States Grand Prix will likely hinge on the delicate trade-off between minimum ride heights and mechanical compliance. According to Pierre Wache, refining the RB22’s manners over the asphalt ridges while salvaging rotation through the low-speed stadium section will serve as the primary focus before the grid is decided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Red Bull losing time to Ferrari at COTA?
Telemetry comparisons from Friday’s sessions show that Red Bull loses time to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari primarily in low-speed sections, most notably under braking and corner exit at Turn 1, Turn 11, and the slow sequence from Turn 12 through Turn 16.
Why are the bumps in Austin posing a challenge for the RB22?
The current technical regulations allow cars to raise slightly on straightaways using active aerodynamics and straight mode to reduce skid wear. This allows engineers to run extremely low ride heights in braking and cornering zones, rendering the suspension very stiff and unyielding across COTA’s bumpy surface.
