Verstappen wonders: 'Why not leave FP2 for what it is?'

In the midst of the experimental weekend at Silverstone, it seemed inevitable that the new format would present some stumbling blocks. One of these was recently pointed out by Max Verstappen. The Dutchman says he doesn't see the point of having the last free practice session before the sprint race, and feels the weekend could have done without it.

With the setups locked in after qualifying on Friday, the Red Bull driver doesn't see the point of the subsequent free practice. "What I find so weird is that you've had qualifying, and you can't change anything to your car anymore," said Verstappen at the Ziggo Sport Formula 1 Cafe.

Verstappen continues and ends with a question towards the FIA: "Then you have another free practice and a sprint race. At this point, I wonder: why don't we leave FP2 for what it is, since it doesn't matter anyway?"

Red Bull didn't seem to manage to find the optimal set-up for the RB16B during the first free practice session on Friday. Verstappen suffered from understeer as a result, and must now settle for the fact that he will suffer from this throughout the weekend. It's not illogical that a second free practice, in which no setup changes are allowed, feels like somewhat of a slap in the face.