Verstappen and Red Bull face challenges at new Madring circuit

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing concluded a challenging first day of practice at the new Madring circuit, finishing behind the pace-setting Mercedes team. The four-time world champion ended Friday's sessions in fifth and sixth place, four tenths of a second adrift of pacesetter Kimi Antonelli in the second practice. Verstappen stated the team's performance was in line with expectations, emphasizing the need to improve the car's balance and extract more pace over a single lap. "From our side, it's more or less where we are. I just need to work a little bit on balance, trying to just get a bit more out of it over one lap and then see how the tyres hold up in the long run," Verstappen said. The Dutchman also reported a power steering issue during the second session but confirmed it was drivable and would be fixed. He offered a brief assessment of the new venue, stating he is not a fan of street circuits and will always prefer traditional tracks like Spa, though he praised the work done to build the circuit. Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache described the Madring as very challenging from an engineering perspective due to its variety of corners.