Max Verstappen concedes Red Bull “quite far off” in Las Vegas

Max Verstappen has admitted Red Bull are “quite far off” on single-lap pace after Friday practice at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s reigning world champion ended the first day of practice down in 17th, with teammate Sergio Perez 19th, after enduring a difficult day in which he struggled for grip through the two hours of running.

Despite being two seconds off the pace set by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen, unlike his rivals, did not complete a lap on the soft tyre during the qualifying simulation runs.

“It’s slippery and I think we struggled a lot with making the tyres work, over one lap especially,” Verstappen said.

“The long run started off a bit more competitive but even there I think we need to fine-tune a few things. But the one-lap pace is quite far off.

“Of course it’s quite unique conditions around here and it’s very cold. But at the end of the day it’s the same for everyone so we need to try and understand what we are doing wrong at the moment.”

The Dutchman added: “The balance of the car’s not even that wrong, I think, it’s just we have no grip. It’s like driving on ice at the moment.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said how the tyres are working amid cooler temperatures are proving to be “critical elements” in Las Vegas. 

“It’s tyres and temperatures. They’re the critical element,” Horner explained.

“I think on the short run we just weren’t in the window with the tyre so we never really got it working.

“On the long run the car’s working okay and we’ve got some other issues to tidy up there but they look similar to what the others are dealing with. But on the short run we just didn’t get the tyre working.”

Verstappen will clinch his fourth successive world title this weekend if he finishes ahead of Lando Norris, or does not lose more than two points to the McLaren driver.