Verstappen warns: ‘Ferrari are close, work to do to stay ahead of them’

Max Verstappen was not very happy after the first session of free practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, but the feeling after the second session of the day was already better. And yet, even though he emerged as the fastest driver on the day, he still sees work to be done. “The Ferrari is close.”

The Dutchman complained in the ‘morning session’ – which started at 1.30pm – about the poor setting of his RB19. The highlight of the first session was a comment from Max Verstappen to race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, when he informed him of some of the race times. The Dutchman replied that it was ‘pointless’ to look at others and that the team could better look at their own problems. The world champion therefore finished sixth in FP1, behind rivals such as Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

‘Hard beginnings, happy endings’

In the second free practice, Verstappen put things in order. But that does not mean that the two-time world champion is already counting himself rich in Monaco. Compared to the Ferrari, we still have a short driving time, the way the car performs in general. So I mean curbs, bumps, things like that. Ferrari are close so we have work to do to stay ahead of them on Saturday.

Bottom line, good sense wins. “In the first free practice I was not happy with how the car did on the sidelines, for example. But in the second free practice it went much better. The car was more competitive and easier to drive. It was a difficult start to the day, but a good end.”