Verstappen ends Austin Friday second as Red Bull targets low-speed deficit

Max Verstappen concluded Friday practice at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in second and third place, finishing within two tenths of Charles Leclerc in both FP1 and FP2 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.

The Ferrari driver set the benchmark in each session, with GPS data revealing that Red Bull holds a meaningful edge in high-speed sections but concedes ground through the circuit’s slower corners. Technical director Pierre Waché was direct about where the work needs to happen.

“It’s clearly the low-speed performance that we are focused on at the moment,” Waché said. “Low speed is the key for us.”

The data bears that out. Comparing the fastest laps of Leclerc, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Verstappen, the slowest corners on the circuit are predominantly in Ferrari’s favour. Leclerc is strong both on the brakes and on the exit of Turn 1, and repeats that pattern at Turn 11. Verstappen, by contrast, loses considerable time through Turns 12 to 16, another slower section of the lap.

The second challenge is one unique to Austin: the track’s severe surface bumps, which Verstappen had already labelled “unacceptable” and “out of control” during Thursday’s media day. Waché acknowledged the RB22 is feeling the effects.

“The car reacts to those bumps how you would expect — it’s jumping a lot,” he said.

Finding the right setup therefore requires a double compromise: balancing the car across high-speed and low-speed corners while also keeping it stable enough over the bumps to remain driveable. Verstappen, who is chasing a fifth world championship this season, was measured but encouraged after the day’s running.

“It’s been a positive start to the weekend. This track is never easy when it comes to finding the right compromise between the low and high-speed corners,” the Dutchman said after FP2. “The bumps make it even more difficult, so you’re trying to find a good balance in the car and get into a rhythm. That’s what we’ve been working on between FP1 and FP2. There’s still a bit more work to do to fine-tune that balance, but it wasn’t a bad day at all.”

Unlike the dominant display Red Bull produced in Malaysia earlier this season, the team is not immediately separating itself from the field in Texas. Ferrari and Mercedes both appear competitive across different parts of the lap, setting up what could be a closely contested qualifying session.