Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing had a positive day at the Silverstone Circuit on Friday, with the Dutchman topping both Free Practice Sessions.
Despite his dominance so far at the British Grand Prix, Verstappen remained grounded and is hoping that Red Bull can continue to improve going into Saturday, which will be important as Scuderia Ferrari are showing some signs of good pace, especially in Free Practice Two, where Carlos Sainz Jr. was just under half a tenth slower than Verstappen.
“I think it was quite a good day for us. It was a little slippery in the beginning but that’s due to the high pressures that we are running on the tyres. Of course, that is the same for everyone, but it makes it a bit more difficult in the low speed.
“I think in general the car has been performing really well so we can be happy with that. The performance has also been strong in both sessions and we could complete our programme. The long runs felt good as well so it’s pretty positive. From our side we want to improve the car ahead of qualifying tomorrow but overall, it’s been a strong day.”
Sergio Pérez: “It has been a positive Friday overall”
Sergio Pérez is looking to have a smooth weekend after a tough couple of race weekends, having not competed in Q3 four qualifying sessions in a row.
Pérez finished second in Free Practice One but ended up nearly five-tenths behind his teammate. The gap was smaller in Free Practice Two, with the Mexican only two and a half behind but finished the session in fourth behind Sainz and Alex Albon.
Pérez will be hoping to get on the podium once again at Silverstone and he’ll be aiming to challenge Verstappen, but it will be a tough challenge with many seeing him as unbeatable at this current moment. Pérez was pleased with his Friday but hopes the team can make another positive step in the final practice session before heading into qualifying on Saturday.
“I am pleased with how the sessions went. We’ve spent a lot of time looking at the tyres today. The most important thing is to assess the data, learn from it and see where and how is best to use that information tomorrow.
“I think we are looking good for qualifying and for the race. It has been a positive Friday overall, the car is feeling good and we made some positive progress from FP1 to FP2. There is still a lot of work to be done overnight but hopefully tomorrow we can make another step in the right direction.”
