Max Verstappen didn’t have the smoothest start at the Canadian Grand Prix. During Friday’s FP2 session, his Red Bull RB20 went up in smoke, forcing an early exit. Red Bull suspects it was an electrical issue related to the Energy Recovery System (ERS), leaving Verstappen itching to understand the full implications for the rest of the season.
“Yeah, unfortunately in FP2, not many laps for me,” Verstappen shared with the Formula 1 website. “There was a suspected electrical issue so they told me to box and they’re investigating now. I haven’t been back in the garage yet, but I’m sure soon we’ll figure out what it is.”
Clearly frustrated, Verstappen added, “It’s not ideal. I would have liked to drive more laps. Some other people had a few more laps in the dry, a few more laps now in the wet. It’s definitely not how I would have liked to get on in FP2, but I think it’s more important to just figure out what actually happened, and what kind of implications that will have for this weekend or the rest of the year.”
This setback comes after a challenging weekend in Monaco, where Verstappen could only manage a P6 finish. As the World Championship leader, he’s keen to return to form, especially with McLaren and Ferrari closing the gap. McLaren’s Lando Norris took the win in Miami, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clinched victory in Monaco.
Verstappen acknowledged the tougher competition this season, stating, “I knew that it was never going to be like last year. To have a season like that is quite rare, so I always knew that of course this year was going to be a little bit different. But also I don’t really think about championship position or whatever. There are so many races left. Some races are a bit better for us, some are probably a bit worse for us and at the end of the day, it all works out. The cars are a lot closer. Some cars work better on street circuits, some work better in fast corners and low speed corners, so it will swing a bit.”
Despite these issues, Verstappen holds a 31-point lead over Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship as they head into the Canadian Grand Prix.
With Red Bull investigating the FP2 electrical issue, Verstappen and his team are focused on understanding its impact on the upcoming races. The season promises to be a harder fight than last year, but Verstappen remains unfazed, ready to tackle whatever comes his way.
Source: Planetf1
