Max Verstappen concluded the second free practice session (FP2) at the 2025 F1 Imola GP in fifth place, trailing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Alpine’s Gasly and Mercedes’ Russell finished 3rd and 4th after strong, data-gathering laps.
The best lap time in FP2 at the F1 Imola GP for Max Verstappen was a 1:15.735, placing him 0.442 seconds behind Piastri’s session-leading 1:15.293.
During the session, Verstappen reported discomfort, stating that “something keeps touching my foot under braking in Turn 2,” pointing to an issue within the footwell of his RB21.
He showed resilience by battling Alpine’s Franco Colapinto side-by-side into Turn 9, displaying strong competitiveness even on a Friday. The session was briefly stopped after Isack Hadjar spun off at the Tamburello Chicane, causing a red flag. The interruption limited teams’ opportunities to gather long-run data.
Context of Red Bull’s 2025 Campaign
At the F1 Imola GP, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are looking to turn the tide after a challenging start to the season. Following McLaren’s clinching of the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull entered 2025 under pressure to regain their position. The team has faced stiff competition from others, who have shown impressive pace and consistency early this season. Verstappen and Tsunoda perform well, but Red Bull still seek setup and reliability changes to challenge front runners consistently.
At Imola, Red Bull’s RB21 upgrades are under the microscope as they try to close the gap. Verstappen’s reported footwell issue and some handling difficulties during FP2 highlight ongoing challenges in maximising performance. The team’s engineers will be working hard to fine-tune the car’s balance and address these issues ahead of qualifying.
Reflecting on a tricky afternoon
Reflecting on the day’s performance, Verstappen admitted, “We tried a lot of bits, some worked a bit better than others, but overall [we’re] not fast enough at the moment.”
He further expressed concern, stating, “At the moment, not very high,” when asked about his confidence in challenging the top positions in qualifying.
He elaborated, “We definitely need a bit more work to get a better through-corner balance to go faster. I think it’s the same in the long runs. I got overtaken by the McLaren, so that says enough, right? They pull away.”
As the weekend progresses, Verstappen and Red Bull will focus on solving these issues promptly. FP3 and qualifying present crucial opportunities to make progress in this tightly contested championship battle.
