Max Verstappen fumes at “unacceptable” issues during Brazil GP practice

On paper, Friday at the Brazil Grand Prix was a positive day for Max Verstappen, as he finished third in both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2.

The only drivers who were quicker on Friday than Verstappen were the last two world champions, with Kimi Antonelli finishing second and first in the two sessions, and Lando Norris was also in first and second across Free Practice 1 and 2.

However, if you listened to the Red Bull driver's radio messages to his team, you would not have expected him to be in such a competitive position.

In Free Practice 1, Verstappen came on the radio to tell his team that he found his downshifts were ‘unacceptable.

Verstappen fumed, “Unacceptable man. Unacceptable, these downshifts. What the f***!”

Also, during the open session of the day, the Dutch driver was unhappy with his steering wheel, as he said, “It’s a work-out with this steering!”

Later in the day, during Free Practice 2, Verstappen was told that something on his power unit was “adapting” to him.

In response, he half-jokingly responded to his engineer on the radio by saying, “What does that mean? I have to speak to the engine myself?

“I think I should be like ’oh clutch, I’m switching! You will be punished otherwise!”

At the end of Free Practice 2, Verstappen ended the day 0.259 seconds slower than Antonelli and Mercedes.

But, unexpectedly, the four-time world champion ended his day early in Free Practice 2, as he got out of his car in the Red Bull garage with five minutes left in the session.

It was after the day ended that it was confirmed that Verstappen ended Free Practice 2 early due to the re-emergence of the steering issues he had suffered in Free Practice 1.

Very quickly after the sessions ended, the Red Bull team disappeared into their hospitality suite to get their team debriefs underway as both Verstappen and Isack Hadjar were left frustrated.