Max Verstappen may have topped the second practice session on Friday at the Mexico City Grand Prix, but he was far from happy.
After sitting out opening practice, The Dutchman topped the second hour of running by over two-tenths, but was left concerned.
Max Verstappen concerned by lack of race pace
Verstappen was one of nine regular drivers sidelined in Free Practice 1 as Red Bull fulfilled one of its mandatory rookie driver sessions by running Arvid Lindblad in his car.
His single lap pace upon returning to the cockpit later in the day was strong, heading Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli while his nearest title rival, Lando Norris, was only fourth.
But while McLaren was singled out by Ferrari for its long run pace, Verstappen admitted he was concerned at his own performance.
“On the soft, we managed to do a good lap. The rest, everything else, was pretty bad,” the four-time world champion bemoaned.
“On the medium, short run was not great. And the big problem is the long runs, where we seem to struggle a lot. So that is, of course, a big concern for the race.”
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Strong recent performances have seen Verstappen battle his way back into the title fight, now just 40 points in arrears of title leader Oscar Piastri.
However, with five races and two sprints remaining, he must continue chipping away at that deficit if he’s to have any hope of securing a fifth crown this year.
Since Monza, the Red Bull has looked a more competitive and confidence-inspiring machine, helping Verstappen on to three wins in the last four outings.
On the low grip circuit in Mexico City, however, he admitted the car wasn’t where he needed it to be.
“I don’t know yet,” he confessed when asked what was causing the long run issues.
“The balance wasn’t even off, it was just no grip. That is the bigger concern.
“So as soon as you go into a sustainable run, tyres are going hot. We were nowhere, so that’s a tough one.
“You’re not going to win the race like that,” he added in reference to his single lap pace.
“You can be fast over one lap, but if you have absolutely zero pace in the race, then it’s going to be very tough.
“I prefer to be fast in the race and not so fast over one lap.”
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock
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