Red Bull identify Max Verstappen problem: 'It only got worse'

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has admitted that understeer is plaguing Max Verstappen's RB21 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, having erroneously believed the issue had been dialled out after FP1.

The Dutch driver was second fastest to F1 drivers' championship rival Lando Norris in both of Friday's free practice sessions at the Yas Marina Circuit.

However, after being just eight-thousandths of a second slower in the opening hour of running, he slumped to over three-and-a-half tenths adrift of the McLaren in FP2.

"The first free practice went a bit better relatively speaking, because in the second free practice we couldn't keep up with Lando Norris pace," Marko said of Verstappen's afternoon on Sky Sports Germany.

"We lost it especially in the twisty sector three, where Max complained of understeer, something he doesn't like anyway."

When asked if it presented itself during push laps or race runs, the Austrian indicated that, to Red Bull's surprise, it was affecting both.

"We thought we had solved it, but that turned out not to be the case yet, and in fact it only got worse," the 82-year-old explained.

During FP1, Verstappen had complained over team radio that his car was "broken", which team principal Laurent Mekies subsequently explained was not the case.

However, the Milton Keynes-based squad did not take the step forward the Frenchman had anticipated between the two hours of running.

Expanding on the situation, Marko said: "We would of course like to see the roles reversed now, but that is simply not the case. We have to make sure we get the car back on track."

Verstappen sits 12 points behind Norris in the standings with only Sunday's grand prix left to contest.

If he is to clinch his fifth-consecutive championship, he must win with the British driver no higher than fourth, or outscore him by 13 points.

If Norris finishes on the podium, the drivers' crown will return to Woking for the first time since Lewis Hamilton's maiden triumph in 2008.

However, Marko is not concerned about outright pace in qualifying, with Red Bull instead placing a premium on race trim, something that is in contrast to McLaren.

"It's not a big deal if we're not first," he said. "You can overtake here, so the most important thing is that the performance in the race is good, but at the moment, even that doesn't look optimal yet."