Max Verstappen has explained why he let rip over team radio during FP2 for the Formula 1 Belgian GP, having been frustrated by a gear box issue.
Verstappen was not shy in expressing his anger towards his gearbox over the radio in FP2 at Spa. The Dutch driver deemed the shifting on his RB22 to be “unacceptable” amid ongoing frustrations with the car.
Verstappen posted the fastest time in FP1 in Belgium, the first time he has topped a practice session in 2026. However, FP2 was not as smooth-sailing as the four-time champion ranted over the radio about his gear shifts.
“My God, these ******* shifts! Unbelievable, man, why are they so ****?! It’s unacceptable, this. My God,” he exclaimed in the early stages of the session.
After finishing FP2 in third, Verstappen said to media that he is ‘very sensitive’ to changes in the car, and attributed the issues to a software upgrade rather than something more serious.
“I’m always very sensitive to these things because I want to work on that and improve it.
“I think there was a software upgrade, or downgrade, that it took a bit of time for the shifts to learn basically, and then it got a bit better again at the end. Some bits were working well, and other times it wasn’t working, but overall the car has been in a decent window.”
Spa-Francorchamps challenging for energy management
Verstappen went on to discuss the wider issues at play in Spa. Long straights and limited heavy braking will demand a lot from the new power units, therefore, managing energy and battery is crucial.
Regardless, Verstappen seemed optimistic about the overall balance of the RB22 going into the final practice session of the weekend.
“For me, I didn’t really have big problems. Probably in FP3 we will see a little bit more the real gap. Still, it’s nothing shocking, it’s expected.
“It’s just a bit of a tough track with the energy management as well. It seems we are a bit slower on the straights compared to some of our competitors. But balance-wise, it’s been quite OK.”
Verstappen will be hopeful of mustering all the best he can from the Red Bull with qualifying commencing.
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