Max Verstappen says his Belgian Grand Prix weekend has got off to a positive start, despite his session-ending FP2 crash.
The Dutchman topped the second practice timesheet with a lap time that was half a tenth faster than Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, before spinning into the barrier late in the session.
Verstappen is seeking to gain back the advantage in the championship fight against Lewis Hamilton, having scored just two points in the last two races.
“I think the whole day we were quite happy,” Verstappen said. “Of course, a few things to fine-tune from FP1 to FP2. Overall, we are very happy. I think, definitely, a very positive start.
“I didn’t change anything on my car with the wind. I felt happy with what I had but of course, a few things to take into consideration with the weather as well.”
Speaking about his crash, Verstappen commented that he “just lost the rear, a bit too much oversteer to correct and unfortunately, I hit the wall”.
Sergio Perez mirrored team-mate Verstappen’s comments, believing that Red Bull possess a strong car ahead of the remainder of the weekend.
“I think we have good potential for the weekend,” Perez said. “It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with the weather tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to it.
“I think we should be able to have a good qualifying session. We got plenty of good information from today and we just have to pick up the best bits for tomorrow and make sure we are able to have a strong quali.
“We’ve got some good pace out there and it’s going to be interesting to see tomorrow, when everyone puts it together, where we’re at.”
