F1 | Red Bull, Verstappen – “Our rivals are getting closer and closer”

Suzuka - Max Verstappen returns to occupy the first position already in the first free practice session Japan. The Red Bull it proved competitive in the first free practice session, the only one actually held on the first day on track. In fact, in the second free practice session, rain hit the Suzuka circuit and several teams decided to stay in the pits, including Red Bull. There Ferrari seems to have what it takes to follow the Austrian team, but Verstappen seems to be confident about the fate of the weekend.

Verstappen – “Our opponents are getting closer and closer”

“Positive start. I felt very comfortable with the car; there are still some things to check, but all in all the first session went well. Obviously, we couldn't do much in FP2, and it's a shame because we have no information on the race pace, but we can't control the time – joked the three-time world champion – in general, it seems that everyone is closer to us than to last year, I don't expect to see the same gaps again as in 2023. There are still some details we need to verify, but I'm happy with the time spent on track. Suzuka is an excellent track for us, we are confident for this weekend."