"He just hasn’t felt comfortable yet" - Max Verstappen 'has been a bit off' in free practice for 2022 F1 Monaco GP, says former champion

Former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg reviewed Max Verstappen's run in the first two free practice sessions ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, emphasizing that the Dutchman looked unusually off and uncomfortable with his Red Bull challenger.

Comparing the reigning world champion's session to that of his teammate Sergio Perez, the German told Sky Sports F1:

“Max [Verstappen] has been a bit off today. Beaten by his teammate [Sergio] Perez, you could see he just hasn’t felt comfortable yet which is very unusual. So let’s see if he can find that rhythm in FP3.”

He added:

“Sergio generally this year has been much closer. He’s been like two tenths away instead of last year when it was more like five tenths. So, great job from him with this car. He, I think, feels more comfortable with this car this year. So that’s been going well for him but it’s really Max, I think, who’s been out of place today. You know, almost half a second away from the Ferraris, but it’s going to be difficult. Again, it’s all about rhythm this weekend. And for him to get back into that rhythm tomorrow is a big challenge.”

The Ferraris absolutely dominated Monaco on Friday, with hometown hero Charles Leclerc leading the charge. Sergio Perez kept himself in the mix for the top three. Today's qualifying session will largely influence the expected results from tomorrow's race.

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"We have to find a little bit more" - Max Verstappen ahead of the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix

Red Bull's Max Verstappen admitted after the first two practice sessions in Monaco that Red Bull still needs to do some work to reduce the performance gap to Ferrari despite currently leading the World Championship Standings.

As reported by PlanetF1, the 24-year-old reflected on his Friday in Monaco and said:

“I think overall, we’ve been trying a few things around the area to see how the car was behaving. I think I was a little bit happier in FP1 than FP2, and, of course, if you have a little bit of a better balance, you can attack a bit more and then of course, your lap time comes out a bit better. But clearly compared to Ferrari, we have to find a little bit more. Now it’s all about just trying to fine tune my balance as well.”

He further said:

“You can feel the weight of the cars. A bit heavier, a bit slower, a bit more bumpy as well with these cars because they’re stiffer. But it’s alright, it’s okay. It’s a bit more difficult with the visibility but it’s still very hectic to drive around here.”

Max Verstappen currently leads the championship standings by six points after securing his third consecutive race win of the season at the Spanish GP last weekend.