Max Verstappen confirmed the paddock whispers after Friday practice at Suzuka for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix that the Red Bull RB21 faced “issues” during the run-up to this weekend’s race. The reigning world champion, used to juicing maximum performance from his car, revealed that it was not performing well Saturday and did not have his usual confidence after running on the demanding circuit.
The second practice session ended with Verstappen in eighth place, more than half a second behind the leaders. Red Bull is trying different tweaks to fix the problems, although nothing has definitively turned the tide yet.
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Max Verstappen expressed concerns via radio during the session
Max Verstappen squawked that the car had too much “flexing,” which Red Bull is still trying to figure out. These comments from a driver who has already nabbed two podium finishes this season indicate a significant hurdle to overcome if he hopes to challenge McLaren’s impressive pace.
The second session’s chaotic conditions, which raised four red flags, made it difficult for everyone to run well. Max Verstappen’s honest statement about his inability to deliver a proper lap reveals a fundamental issue beyond the interrupted practice time. The driver admitted that he cannot extract the maximum potential from the car through the high-speed corners of Suzuka because the track requires complete faith in the machinery.
“Today has been quite difficult for me because I’ve been trying a lot of different things with the car but it seems like a lot of things are not really clicking at the moment, and it’s quite difficult just to put the lap down,” Verstappen told the media after the session.
The early stage alarm shouldn’t mean dismissing Red Bull at Sunday’s 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, but Verstappen’s practice troubles and comments about the RB21 raise red flags. These complaints gain extra significance because Verstappen normally has the ability to adapt to any car quickly. The team needs to determine if they can square away the RB21’s capabilities before qualifying starts, but the usual dominant force shows troubling signs of weakness heading into the qualifying round.
Notes from Saturday’s Practice
- Local hero Yuki Tsunoda made a positive start to his Red Bull debut, finishing just a 10th of a second behind Verstappen in the first practice session. He did find the RB21 “more tricky” than expected compared to the simulator.
- Liam Lawson, demoted back to Racing Bulls after just two races, showed impressive pace, finishing fifth in the second practice session, even ahead of the senior Red Bulls.
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