Red Bull’s two-time champion, Max Verstappen, asserted his dominance in both Friday practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix, commending the modifications made to enhance the circuit’s speed and flow.
Verstappen set the fastest laps in both runs, securing the top spot ahead of local hero Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin.
Following an impressive day at the Circuit de Catalunya, where he claimed his maiden victory in 2016 and emerged victorious last year, the 25-year-old Dutch driver expressed his satisfaction with the new layout, stating that it was “more fun to drive” and would promote overtaking opportunities.
Verstappen, who currently leads this year’s championship with a 39-point advantage over his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, remarked, “Overall, I think we had a very good day. The car was performing well, and we made a few adjustments to fine-tune it. Both on short and long runs, everything looked quite good.”
When asked about the circuit changes, particularly the revised final sector that eliminated a chicane to create faster and more fluid corners, Verstappen displayed enthusiasm. “It’s been much more fun to drive,” he remarked.
“In general, F1 cars excel at high speeds, so the last two corners are now much better to drive. I also had the chance to follow a few cars, and overtaking seemed quite feasible. It was a pleasant surprise.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, aimed to bounce back from a “disastrous” weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he crashed during qualifying and failed to secure any championship points.
Perez finished fourth in the practice session as he sought redemption.
