Max Verstappen Deems Belgian GP Practice ‘Very Tricky’ as McLaren Dominates with 1-2 Finish

Max Verstappen describes a "very challenging" day for Red Bull as McLaren takes the top two spots in Belgian GP practice.

Max Verstappen admitted that it has been "quite challenging to achieve the proper balance" after finishing behind both McLaren cars in Friday's F1 practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix.

McLaren dominated the second practice session at Spa-Francorchamps, with Lando Norris finishing 0.2 seconds ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri.

McLaren delivered an outstanding performance at a track where they had difficulties in dry conditions just a year ago.

Red Bull appeared to be in control during the initial practice session as Verstappen led the way with a half-second advantage.

Commenting on the day's activities, he stated: "We experimented with various setups because it's typical of Spa. In the first and third sectors, you need high top speed, but in the long middle sector, you require good cornering speed."

"It's quite challenging to strike the perfect balance. We're experimenting with various approaches to determine what works best. We'll review and analyze it now. Today, we began on a fairly optimistic note."

"The second practice session didn't go as well. We need to review several adjustments that we implemented."

Verstappen will face a much tougher challenge due to a 10-place grid penalty imposed for changing his engine.

As expected, Verstappen is focused on any modifications related to the race.

"Hopefully, we can all come together for the race, especially since I'll have to start a bit further back due to the engine penalty," he mentioned. "We'll try to make the most of it."

"Of course, while securing a strong position in the qualifiers is desirable, our primary focus will be on performing well in the race, as that is what truly matters."

Sergio Perez lagged behind, trailing Verstappen by 1.1 seconds.

Sharing his perspective on the day's events, he remarked, "We've been experimenting with the setup. We've tried various things, but we haven't been able to get the most out of it yet."

"I believe we gathered a substantial amount of data. The two cars had significant differences, so we have ample material to review for tomorrow."

"Despite the differences in the tarmac, the wear and tear appear to be very severe."

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