Windsor: 'Verstappen setting up the car for potentially a third-row start'

Ferrari were fastest in both the first and second free practice sessions, but that doesn't say much about how the rest of the weekend will go. Max Verstappen was severely hampered by Lando Norris in FP1, which prevented him from setting the fastest time despite two purple sectors. Later in the day, the Dutchman also seemed to be saving some of his powder for later, as Peter Windsor saw.

According to the Formula One journalist, Verstappen might be the moral winner after Friday. "To my eye, it was Max who was really quick throughout the day. No surprise there. We all expected Red Bull's aero efficiency would be heavily on display as it was at Spa. Max really quick, did a lot of laps with a lot of fuel in the car which is why he wasn't out there playing with the Ferrari's for a quick time," said Windsor.

Verstappen to fire up Sunday

It was announced on Friday morning that Verstappen will have his combustion engine replaced for the second time this season. This will cost him five places on the grid. If the Red Bull Racing driver finishes first in qualifying, he will be downgraded to sixth. Verstappen's main concern has been to find an optimal set-up for Sunday's race.

He will have to overtake quite a few cars, so the focus is mainly on making the RB18 fast in traffic. "He is setting up the car for potentially a third-row start, making sure the tyres can last, which tyres he wants to start on, and tuning his top speed against how much downforce he wants to run," Windsor concluded.