Verstappen has a clear explanation for lack of grip: 'Floor for 2021'

Max Verstappen was only able to follow Mercedes at an appropriate distance during the free practice sessions on Friday in Portimao. He wasn't really very satisfied afterwards, but there were several reasons for that.

"When I was here in January, I thought it was a great track, but they've laid new asphalt here and there's very little grip. It's just gliding and weird breakouts when you want to go a little harder into the corner and then suddenly there's zero grip, so at the moment I don't like it very much".

In his opinion, the circuit has not improved with the new layer of asphalt, but these are conditions that every team has to deal with. For Verstappen and Red Bull Racing there was an even clearer explanation for the lack of speed.

"I was driving with a floor that we have to use next year, so I had much less downforce on the car. That's why it didn't go so well," says the Dutchman to Ziggo Sport. "That will indeed make quite a difference because the FIA has applied rule changes for 2021 that should significantly reduce the amount of downforce".