Red Bull Racing endured a mixed Friday in Monaco, with Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda finishing P10 and P11 in FP2, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led the way on his home turf. While Verstappen struggled with set-up, Tsunoda battled traffic and tyre grip as he builds confidence in the RB21.
Verstappen: “We overdid it a little bit”
After a promising P2 finish in FP1, trailing Charles Leclerc by just 0.163 seconds, Verstappen’s performance dipped in FP2, where he ended up P10. He attributed this to aggressive set-up changes made between sessions.
“We overdid it a little bit, so I just couldn’t really attack the corners how I’d like. You’re shedding a lot of pace, and the lap time just wasn’t there.”
He also acknowledged Ferrari’s strong form:
“Ferrari again looks very, very fast.”
Despite the drop in pace, Verstappen is confident in Red Bull’s ability to recover.
“I’m quite confident we can be a lot closer tomorrow.”
Tsunoda: “Just trying to squeeze out more”
Yuki Tsunoda, who ended FP2 just 0.004s behind Verstappen in P11, reported some familiar Monaco frustrations.
“We had some traffic, but that’s Monaco. I didn’t feel much of a step-in grip on the softs, and that’s what I’m struggling with.”
Tsunoda admitted there’s still more time to find.
“I need a couple of tenths more. I’ll try to squeeze that out and put it together in quali.”
The Japanese driver is also running an older floor spec this weekend due to damage sustained in Imola, which may be affecting performance slightly. Still, his methodical approach and clean running suggest he’s building confidence at the right time.
Looking ahead
Ferrari appear to have the upper hand early on, but Red Bull are known for overnight turnarounds – especially when it counts. With qualifying being critical at Monaco, both Verstappen and Tsunoda will aim to optimise every detail ahead of Saturday’s all-important session.
