Max Verstappen says Red Bull’s RB14 is performing better than expected after he led the way during Friday practice for Formula 1’s German Grand Prix.
Verstappen finished third in the opening 90-minute session at Hockenheim before vaulting to the top of the timesheets in the afternoon, with a new track record.
Verstappen’s time of 1:13.085, set on Ultrasofts, left him 0.026s clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, with Sebastian Vettel the quickest Ferrari driver, two-tenths further back.
“A pretty good Friday, I feel like we have a good balance with the car which shows by topping the session,” said Verstappen.
“It was a nice surprise to start so competitively here but we have to remember it is only Friday.
“The others will be quicker for qualifying but certainly a better than expected start.
“We lost a few laps due to a small oil leak this afternoon but this was quickly fixed and I managed to get a few laps in at the end of the session to make sure everything was fine.
“The tight parts of the track, sectors one and three, feel good and I think our pace shows in these areas.”
Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo led the way in the first session but placed only 13th in second practice as he opted against undertaking a run on Ultrasoft rubber.
Ricciardo entered the weekend braced for an engine-related grid demotion and confirmation of his relegation to the back on Sunday was confirmed prior to the first session.
“The priority today was to get a good race car as the reality is that qualifying will be irrelevant for me and we’re going to be passing a fair few cars on Sunday,” he said.
“The race run I did was pretty good and the car feels strong.
“Whether one car starts at the front and one car at the back, if we have a fast car it is still motivating for Sunday.
“I prepared myself before the weekend knowing that I would probably take the penalties here and I’m actually pretty excited to come through the field and have a bit of fun, so I’ll find the right perspective from it all.
“For me it will be satisfying and for everyone watching it should be pretty fun as well.”
