“FP1 was really bad”: Max Verstappen reflects on difficult sessions in Bahrain

Max Verstappen feels his first practice session of the 2023 season in Bahrain was slightly more difficult compared to the second session. The Dutchman was positive about making progress once he settled better in the car and was more confident with their race pace than their qualifying pace.

Evaluating the practice sessions in Bahrain for the on-site media, including Sportskeeda, Max Verstappen said:

“FP1 was really bad, just couldn’t get a balance which was odd because in testing whatever we tried, maybe somethings were maybe not that amazing, but not that far out, so few things to understand."

Verstappen claimed that he face difficulty at the start of the second session as well but eventually settled in. He said:

"Even the start of FP2 was a bit difficult but even at the final run even though we were not really having a good reference and confidence up until then with the car- the lap was not too bad in the short run and also the car, we got a bit more connected."

He added:

"Then in the long run, I think with all the changes that we made, I was quite surprised with the pace we had. Overall the car is not too bad in the long run and yeah I just need to find my rhythm again with the car and just the way the car is driving in short runs.”

While the Dutchman rued his qualifying pace, he was impressed with the race pace of the RB19. This is despite the changes made between the test and the first race of the season.

Max Verstappen was classified as the third fastest in FP1 and the second fastest in FP2. He believes he is yet to get back into the rhythm of being able to extract the maximum out of his car on sprint laps.

However, the Dutch champion was surprised by their race pace in the long runs of the practice session. He is confident that the team will be competitive over the weekend.

Rounding off the positives in the second session, the double champion said:

“Difficult start to the day but I think we went back into the right direction and I think it’s looking much better now."

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Max Verstappen feels Aston Martin are very quick and competitive in Bahrain

Outpaced by Fernando Alonso in both sessions, Max Verstappen was not surprised by Aston Martin’s pace. The Dutchman believes the preseason test has already foreshadowed the Silverstone team's competitiveness. He was outpaced by the Spanish champion by two-tenths of a second in the first session and by a tenth of a second in the second session.

Commenting on the Aston Martin’s pace, the Dutch champion said:

“They’re quick, but you could see that already in testing that they were very competitive. So yeah they had a great day, for us still a lot of work to do. We know we have a very competitive car and now we are just putting the pieces all together.”

Commenting on their own expectations and the work cut out for them over the weekend, Max Verstappen said:

“I think if I feel happy in the car again and I can push like I want to push with the car on one lap then for sure we are very fast. But it’s also making sure that the car doesn’t fall out of the window for the long run.”

Acknowledging the work cut out for Red Bull over the weekend, Max Verstappen is optimistic about their car and its competitiveness. He believes they will regain their mojo come race day.

Based on the data and times of both practice sessions, the reigning champions will be challenged by Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin more than by Ferrari in Bahrain.