Max Verstappen sends McLaren a warning ahead of qualifying at the 2025 Spanish GP that Red Bull are performing better than usual, following a successful Friday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Despite still searching for optimal performance from his RB21, the reigning world champion described May 30’s Free Practice sessions as a step forward for the team.
Milton Keynes entered the weekend with optimism as attention on whether new technical regulations governing front wing flexibility might finally shift the competitive balance against McLaren.
And after finishing second in FP1 and third in FP2, Verstappen appeared satisfied with the team’s progress as he sends McLaren a warning ahead of 2025 Spanish GP qualifying.
“It’s always nice to be here,” Verstappen told F1 TV. “The track is always very enjoyable to drive. It’s quite hot out there as well, especially for the tyres.
“But I think it was an okay Friday. We’ve had worse Fridays! I felt a bit happier with the car, we’re still not where we want to be but it was definitely a bit more positive.”
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Can Verstappen repeat his Imola win at 2025 Spanish GP?
Verstappen‘s pace in FP2 placed him just behind Oscar Piastri and George Russell serves as a good base to work from, getting him ahead of Lando Norris by virtue of setting an identical lap time earlier.
And his optimism in Spain comes following an emphatically dominant display at the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP earlier this month, where he capitalized on a front-row start to overtake Piastri on the opening lap and masterfully command the race.
The victory, secured despite a late safety car that briefly brought McLaren back into contention, closed Verstappen’s deficit in the drivers’ standings and reminded the paddock of his unrelenting race-craft.
Although a tougher weekend then followed in Monaco as the gap to the papaya-coloured cars grew once again, the victory at Red Bull‘s 400th Grand Prix weekend serves as fuel for the belief they can get back into the fight.
However, there is still work to do in Spain as the defending champion admits the circuit feels different to Italy’s Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
“No, I mean every track is a bit different,” Verstappen added. “But the feeling, I still want a better feeling from the car.
“But I’ve also had Fridays where we were completely out of it, so it’s a bit more I would say in the middle.”
