Max Verstappen draws painful Red Bull conclusion

Max Verstappen has conceded Red Bull is unlikely to be in the fight at the front in Barcelona after a difficult day of practice on Friday.

The Dutchman ended the second practice session in sixth place, almost one second down on the pace set by Lando Norris.

Last weekend in Monaco, Verstappen became a late contender in the fight for pole position but had to settle for second place before his lap one catastrophe on Sunday.

However, the four-time champion is not confident that it will be able to pull off a similar story in qualifying this time around.

“We’re losing out at high speed and at low speed - basically everywhere,” Verstappen said. “All day long, we lacked grip, feel for the car, and balance. 

“So that’s what we need to work on.

“I don’t think we can compete for the top positions; this is where we stand." 

A number of drivers complained of tyre degradation and temperature during practice on Friday, with the Pirelli rubber offering a great challenge to all.

Verstappen admitted that he too struggled in that area, stating: “It didn’t feel right on any tyre.

“But that seemed to be the case for everyone. I followed a few people and there’s no grip, the cars are sliding a lot. 

“If we compare it from our side to the top, we had a bit more trouble with the balance, but I don’t think anyone had a good balance today.”