Verstappen: Gap to Hamilton smaller without tow effect

Max Verstappen reckons Lewis Hamilton’s pace advantage during Friday practice for the United States Grand Prix was exaggerated by gaining from having a slipstream.

Hamilton set the pace in the second free practice session in Austin with a lap time that was 0.301s faster than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, though the Mercedes driver did benefit from a significant slipstream from Robert Kubica’s Williams in the middle sector.

Verstappen, who topped the opening practice session, ended up 0.343s adrift in third spot but reckons the gap would have been much smaller had Hamilton not picked up a tow on his fastest lap.

“Overall it’s been a positive day and the pace of the car on the short runs seems pretty good,” Verstappen said.

“Lewis had a tow down the back straight on his fastest lap so I think the time isn’t really representative and the gap is probably a bit smaller than it looks.

“We were a little bit off on the long runs and I’m not entirely happy yet but that’s something we can look at tonight.

“The track seems to be getting bumpier every year but luckily the bumps aren’t really in braking areas but it’s something that probably needs looking at before next year,” he added.

“I don’t mind bumps on a street circuit but some of these are quite severe and more like a jump so the wheels actually come off the ground.

“This track is also very aggressive on tyres so if we can keep them under control then it could be pretty good.”

Red Bull teammate Alexander Albon completed the top six but was 1.2s off the pace of Hamilton’s effort and was less happy with his RB15 during FP2.

“I’m enjoying my first time around this track and it’s been really good fun so far,” Albon explained. “It’s quite technical and there’s a lot of track to use so you need to know where to put your car and which lines to take.

“There’s a lot of bumps out there but I think they look worse on TV than how they feel out on track, but our car is pretty good over them anyway. The cars do move around a bit over the bumps so it’s just about knowing how much you can get away with.

“The first session was pretty good and then the second one was ok but I know which direction I want to go in.

“My best time got deleted for track limits. My other lap was ok but I made a few mistakes so there’s room for improvement on my side in terms of driving and also getting the most out of the tyres.

“I think it’s mainly sector one and the low speed I need to focus on but after your first day at a new track, having things to work on is nothing unusual.”