P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen has revealed how set-up changes that induced increased bouncing were behind his struggle to sixth on the grid at Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Red Bull looked to be back on track in Baku as Verstappen led the opening practice session and then again headed the times in Q2 prior to the pole […]
Red Bull seemed strong at the beginning of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, with Verstappen leading the practice and setting the pace in the qualifying sessions. However, he struggled in the final stages of qualifying and ended up in sixth place, behind Charles Leclerc and teammate Sergio Perez, who finally outperformed him in the single-lap showdown after a 33-race drought.
Verstappen faced challenges due to the car bouncing excessively on the street circuit, leading to understeer and suboptimal performance. Despite an error in his final qualifying run, he admitted that he could have done better and regrets the setup changes made before the session.
The Dutch driver’s disappointment was somewhat alleviated by Lando Norris’s struggles, but he remains wary of the car’s handling issues heading into the race. Verstappen acknowledged the difficulties faced during the weekend and is hoping to turn the situation around for a better race performance.
