News
Red Bull plans major Verstappen changes after São Paulo problems
Red Bull will alter Max Verstappen’s car after steering and downshift trouble in São Paulo, while rain threatens to disrupt qualifying.
Red Bull is preparing several changes to Max Verstappen’s car before qualifying at the São Paulo Grand Prix, after a difficult Friday practice that brought steering and downshift problems. Verstappen ended both sessions third, but his pace came amid a series of complaints about the RB22’s behaviour.
The downshift issue has troubled him repeatedly this season. He also described the steering as physically demanding and cut his second practice session short. His Red Bull future has drawn attention, but Friday’s immediate focus was finding improvements in the car.
Red Bull has identified several areas to address
Head of Race Strategy Hannah Schmitz said the team expects to use a different steering wheel for the rest of the weekend and is working through several changes on Verstappen’s side of the garage. She said Red Bull understood the issues he had raised and believed they could be improved.
Schmitz viewed the feedback as an opportunity to find more performance. Despite the problems, Verstappen remained close to the front: in FP2, he was part of a tight group with Lando Norris and George Russell, with just 0.020 seconds between the three across second to fourth.
She also said the car still had potential to unlock and that the day’s work had given Red Bull areas to investigate overnight. Practice, she noted, was the time to identify and address such concerns.
Hadjar seeks progress as rain threatens qualifying
Isack Hadjar, Verstappen’s team-mate, was more than a second off the benchmark set by Kimi Antonelli. He felt Red Bull had taken the car in an unproductive direction during the day, though he considered its long-run pace competitive. Hadjar said the team knew where to look for improvement on a single lap. His return to Red Bull has brought him into the same garage as Verstappen for this weekend.
Weather could complicate Saturday’s preparations. Schmitz said a heavy rain front was forecast, but its timing remained uncertain: some forecasts put it after qualifying, leaving open the possibility of a dry session. Red Bull said it would prepare for either outcome.