Max Verstappen has pinpointed a potentially race-damaging issue with his Red Bull after free practice for this weekend’s Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Dutchman finished seventh and sixth in FP1 and 2 respectively, finishing the first session over a second adrift of the fastest time, and behind team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
FP2 brought a semblance of improvement, but could only muster a lap six tenths of a second off Lewis Hamilton’s fastest time of the afternoon.
On the face of things, Verstappen appears to be looking very much on the periphery of a challenge for victory in Baku, but outlined the problem that needs to be rectified.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
“It didn’t go wrong,” said Verstappen of his session. “The car feels good, which is positive. We’ve found a stable balance on this rather specific track. That’s what you need.
“Everything has to come together to drive a good lap. We’re still a bit short on one flying lap; there’s still more to be gained from the car and myself.”
Another outlying issue in Baku has been the C6 compound, brand new to the tricky street circuit, which is providing an additional challenge, requiring experimentation from all teams.
Verstappen stated that the circuit’s surface has been harsh on the Soft compounds, but indicated that the RB21’s race pace is positive, corroborating Lando Norris’ belief that the race will be closely contested between a number of cars.
“Hopefully, that will go a bit better tomorrow,” he said. “The long run felt fine. It’s always slippery here and hard on the tyres with the softer compounds, but that didn’t go wrong.
“I expect a few teams to be close together, and then it all comes down to driving a perfect lap.”
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![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-360x180.webp)
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