Max Verstappen ended the second free practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in third place, remaining the closest challenger to Mercedes. The Red Bull driver was satisfied with the progress shown by his team, especially with the updates introduced in Baku.
In FP1, Verstappen set the second-fastest time, four tenths behind Mercedes. In FP2, he was the only driver outside Mercedes to finish within a second of the pace, with a gap of eight tenths to Mercedes. Nevertheless, the reigning world champion remains optimistic.
“It was actually a pretty positive day,” Verstappen said. “I'm quite happy with the car. We still need to fine-tune a few things and try to improve the lap time. But overall, it was a good start, and the updates worked as we expected.”
Verstappen started FP2 well, even leading the session early on with medium tyres. However, when switching to softs, Mercedes' one-lap speed became evident. Still, Verstappen felt comfortable with the car's balance and believes there is room for improvement.
This season, Verstappen has yet to win, but his form is consistent. He has finished on the podium in four of the last five races. With this momentum, he could be the first to capitalise on any mistakes from the Mercedes drivers.
The battle in Baku is still open. Mercedes may be dominant, but Red Bull with its updates is showing signs of progress. Verstappen and his team will aim to make the most of the remaining practice sessions to challenge Mercedes in qualifying and the race.
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