Verstappen brands Red Bull gear shifts ‘unacceptable’ during Spa FP2

Verstappen’s radio frustration at Spa

Max Verstappen launched a furious critique of Red Bull’s gearbox during FP2 at Spa-Francorchamps, describing the shifting on his RB22 as “unacceptable” before later explaining that his reaction reflected how sensitive he is to such details.

The four-time Formula 1 drivers’ champion arrived at the second session with momentum after topping FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix — his first practice-leading performance of the season. That optimism was tested early in FP2, however, when inconsistent gear changes provoked an angry response over team radio.

*“My God, these ******* shifts! Unbelievable, man, why are they so ***?! It’s unacceptable, this. My God,” Verstappen said.

The issue did not prevent him from finishing third, although he ended the session almost half a second behind Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. McLaren’s Lando Norris separated the two.

Antonelli’s pace ultimately placed him at the top of FP2, as detailed in our report on Mercedes’ Spa performance.

Software change behind the problem

Verstappen’s post-session assessment was considerably calmer than his radio outburst. He attributed the shifting difficulties to a software change that required time to calibrate, insisting the behaviour improved towards the end of the session.

“I’m always very sensitive to these things because I want to work on that and improve it,” the Red Bull driver explained.

“I think there was a software upgrade, or downgrade, that it took a bit of time for the shifts to learn basically, and then it got a bit better again at the end.”

His comments suggested that the problem was inconsistent rather than constant. “Some bits were working well, and other times it wasn’t working, but overall the car has been in a decent window,” he added.

Red Bull faces Spa energy challenge

The gearbox complaint was only part of Verstappen’s FP2 evaluation. He also highlighted the broader energy-management demands of Spa-Francorchamps, a power-sensitive circuit with long straights and limited heavy-braking zones.

Verstappen said Red Bull appeared slower on the straights than some competitors, but remained relatively positive about the car’s balance ahead of FP3. He expects the final practice session to provide a more representative indication of the competitive order.

“For me, I didn’t really have big problems... [but] probably in FP3 we will see a little bit more the real gap,” he said. “Still, it’s nothing shocking; it’s expected.”

He concluded: “It’s just a bit of a tough track with the energy management as well. It seems we are a bit slower on the straights compared to some of our competitors. But balance-wise, it’s been quite okay.”