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Verstappen Fears Long-Run Pace Crisis Ahead of Mexican Grand Prix

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Max Verstappen's confidence for a win at the Mexican Grand Prix has been shaken, as he expressed concerns about his team's inability to maintain pace over a long run. Despite being the fastest driver in Friday's FP2 session, the Dutchman acknowledged that McLaren's high-fuel pace is a significant threat to Red Bull's chances. Verstappen's comments were echoed by team advisor Helmut Marko, who highlighted the team's struggles with balance and grip, particularly on the medium tyres.

Key Takeaways:

  • Verstappen was the fastest driver in FP2, but struggled with long-run pace, finishing 0.184 seconds behind McLaren's pace on medium tyres.
  • The Dutchman attributes Red Bull's struggles to a lack of grip and balance, particularly when running on a sustainable pace.
  • Helmut Marko echoed Verstappen's concerns, stating that the team is "clearly behind" McLaren in terms of long-run pace, especially on medium tyres.
  • Verstappen believes that it will be tough to win the race with zero pace in the long run, citing the need for a fast and competitive performance in both qualifying and the race.
  • The Dutchman believes that maintaining pole position is crucial, but holding onto the lead throughout the race will be a significant challenge.

Statistics:

  • Max Verstappen was the fastest driver in FP2, finishing 0.184 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli.
  • McLaren's pace was 0.191 seconds faster than Red Bull's on medium tyres in FP2.
  • Red Bull's struggles were most pronounced on the medium tyres, where they finished 1.4 seconds behind McLaren's pace.
  • Verstappen has now secured 7 pole positions this season, leaving him just one short of a championship-record eighth pole.
  • FRIDAY'S FP2 TIMES:

| Driver | Time | Gap | Tyres |

| --- | --- | --- | --- |

| Verstappen | 1:19.581 | | Soft |

| Leclerc | 1:19.706 | 0.125 | Soft |

| Antonelli | 1:19.778 | 0.197 | Soft |

| Norris | 1:19.922 | 0.341 | Soft |

| Piastri | 1:20.485 | 0.904 | Soft |

Sources:

  • Mark Thompson/Getty Images
  • "Red Bull worried about McLaren's pace in Mexican Grand Prix" by Sky Germany (Source not directly referenced)
  • "Verstappen fears long-run pace crisis at Mexican Grand Prix" by ESPN (Source not directly referenced)

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