Red Bull reveal cause behind premature Max Verstappen Brazil practice stoppage

Red Bull has detailed why Max Verstappen did not complete his long run programme at the end of free practice two on Saturday in Brazil.

Verstappen was spotted jumping out of the car with several minutes still remaining on the clock, while rival teams continued to circle and gather data ahead of Sunday's grand prix.

The four-time champion set the third-fastest lap in the qualifying simulations, behind Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris.

However, Verstappen found his car much more challenging to drive when it came to the high-fuel runs, resulting in Red Bull pulling the plug early to carry out changes before Saturday's on-track action.

"It was just finding a lot of inconsistency in the long run, and we didn't feel like it was helpful anymore.

"We weren't getting the data we needed.

"We knew the things that we wanted to be looking at and changing overnight, so we just went straight into that."

Red Bull highlight 'good thing' about driver complaints

Both Verstappen and team-mate Isack Hadjar were heard complaining about the car during practice, with Verstappen's complaints primarily directed towards his steering.

While the comments highlighted areas of weakness within the RB22, Schmitz stated it is a positive development for Red Bull as it helps understand where improvements can be made.

"Everyone agrees that there's a lot of potential within the car," Schmitz said.

"Both drivers, there are things that they want to look into and change overnight, but in a way, that's a good thing.

"That means we know what's happening on the car and what we can address, and there is a lot of potential and optimism for the rest of the weekend."