P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen was only fifth in Free Practice 2 for the Spanish Grand Prix, with work to do for the Red Bull ahead of qualifying.
After Helmut Marko praised Red Bull for having “the best Friday in ages” following the first free practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix, the team still faced challenges in the second practice session, with Max Verstappen finishing fifth and expressing concerns about the RB20’s behavior, particularly regarding balance issues. Verstappen mentioned trying different setups during the day’s practice sessions to improve the car’s performance. He highlighted the need to address understeer, which was affecting his ability to navigate through certain sections of the track efficiently. Red Bull also faced pressure from competitors such as Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris, who displayed faster lap times in key sectors. Despite Hamilton’s strong long-run performance on medium tires and Norris’s competitive pace on soft tires, Verstappen continued to focus on fine-tuning the RB20 to address its challenges and potential improvements for the race weekend.
