Max Verstappen Monza practice absence causes Red Bull concerns

Red Bull has been left scratching its head after a tough day at the Italian Grand Prix where Max Verstappen made way for rookie driver Ayumu Iwasa in free practice one. 

Red Bull is battling to put itself back into the mix at the front of the grid, with Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren having pulled a margin in recent weeks. 

But the team was limited in its progress on Friday, as Verstappen made way for rookie driver Ayumu Iwasa in the first of two sessions, before highlighting problems with a lack of low-speed grid and a lack of braking power, amongst other things, when he did eventually get behind the wheel. 

"I think clearly we have a balance issue on the car, is the main thing," said Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache. 

"A little bit like Zandvoort, to be honest. We're trying to understand what the issue is, try to fix it in a different way by set-up and car components. But it's a main thing we are working on. 

"What doesn't help is when Max is not driving during P1, and he jumps in the car there [for FP2], and we have less time to react. Now, we have to react for P3. That's the main thing."

Asked if the list of problems is linked to upgrades brought to Monza, Wache said: "No. It's just we [need to] evaluate some components, and after, we have some choices to make between different components."

Monza is the ultimate power circuit, and although the FIA recently reconfirmed its finding that Red Bull has the best internal combustion engine on the grid, it falls behind rivals Ferrari and Mercedes when the electrical element is factored in. 

With energy management crucial not just in qualifying but across the race distance on Sunday, Wache batted away comments from Iwasa that he had struggled with energy when completing a qualifying simulation early in the day. 

"It should not be [a concern]," said Wache. "I think it's why free practice is there, to try to highlight the issue and try to, after that, fix it. But yeah, I think it's a normal weekend on that aspect. After, for Max, the main concern for me is the balance."