Red Bull's RB22 shows front-to-rear 'disconnect' as Verstappen ends Mexico practice fifth

Max Verstappen ended Friday practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix fifth and three tenths off the pace, with Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache admitting the RB22 is carrying a front-to-rear balance problem that the team must resolve before qualifying.

Wache described the core issue plainly: a ‘disconnect’ between the front of the car during braking and the apex, and the rear while turning. “It’s clearly a little bit disconnected and we are trying to fix that for tomorrow,” he told media at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Verstappen’s afternoon was further complicated by a collision with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson that broke a bargeboard component off the RB22, costing the car downforce for the remainder of the session. The stewards handed both drivers a one-place grid penalty. Verstappen had already missed first practice, with Ayumu Iwasa taking his seat in the RB22 for that session, meaning the incident cut into his only meaningful running of the day.

Verstappen was pointed in his assessment of Lawson’s judgement. “Not very smart,” he said in the media pen, noting that the Racing Bulls driver is still fighting for his seat. Despite the damage, the gap to the fastest Ferrari was not alarming in context, though Verstappen acknowledged there is still pace to find.

“It was not bad, but there’s still a few things that I want to improve,” Verstappen said. “I only had one session and I think it’s not amazing for everyone out there in terms of grip. Whatever you feel yourself, you then look at the onboards of everyone else and I think no one is really having a good time in terms of driving. I just need to find a little bit more pace in our car to make a little jump up.”

Verstappen also pointed to the particular challenge posed by Mexico City’s extreme altitude under Formula 1’s new 2026 technical regulations. The thin air has always reduced grip and aerodynamic load, but the active aerodynamics introduced this season amplify the effect further.

“It’s even more sliding, you need to be very patient with your driving,” he said. “Personally, it’s not the most fun, but you also know that it’s a different challenge. You just need to try and understand it more.”

Red Bull heads into Saturday’s practice and qualifying with a clear agenda: resolve the front-rear disconnect, assess the true extent of the damage from the Lawson incident, and find the extra lap time Verstappen believes is available in the car.