Max Verstappen wrestled with his machine on the opening day at Interlagos, prompting Red Bull to line up significant setup adjustments ahead of Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Despite finishing third in both FP1 and FP2, the Dutchman faced a frustrating run. Downshift troubles—a persistent headache for him this season—flared up again alongside heavy steering on the RB22 that he memorably dubbed a "workout", forcing him to park the car slightly early in the second session.
Head of Race Strategy Hannah Schmitz confirmed the team's next steps, noting that they will run a different wheel for the rest of the weekend and implement "quite a few changes on Max’s side". Schmitz acknowledged that while Verstappen had several complaints, the squad understands every issue and views them as actionable areas for improvement. She also highlighted that Verstappen's relentless feedback is genuinely useful for unlocking extra performance, leaving the team optimistic given the car's underlying speed.
That speed was visible in the timesheets during FP2, where Verstappen slotted into a razor-thin battle alongside Lando Norris and George Russell, with a mere 0.020s covering the trio as they claimed positions P2 to P4. Yet the garage saw a very different story on the other side of the pit wall, where team mate Isack Hadjar finished over a second away from the benchmark set by Kimi Antonelli.
"I was not very happy," the Frenchman admitted, pointing to balance issues and an unsuccessful setup direction that ruined his single-lap pace on the soft compound. Even so, he noted that long-run pace remained competitive and expressed a desire to sort out their qualifying speed before Saturday's sessions.
Looking ahead, Schmitz warned that the unpredictable Interlagos weather could completely scramble the schedule. A very heavy rain front is currently forecast for the afternoon, leaving the timing of Qualifying up in the air, though the team is prepared for both wet and dry eventualities.
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