Verstappen positive: "We're better than that"

It was a special day for Max Verstappen, as Formula 1 returned to the Netherlands for the first time since 36. There was a sea of orange present for the Dutchman, who didn't manage to set the fastest time today.

There's no reason to panic yet, as Verstappen was unable to set a good lap due to a number of red flags and heavy traffic. It is expected that he will be faster during FP3 and qualifying tomorrow, although Ferrari also looked good.

"Yes, on both sets on the very first lap where of course that time should come, I couldn't finish it. It looks a bit distorted on the short run at the moment, I do think we are better than that. There are a few things we need to fine-tune. The long-run did look very positive," Verstappen said in an interview with Olav Mol. "I expected us to be a bit faster myself. I thought around one minute six, but we're not going to achieve that."

Pole position very important

Whether there are any new updates? "That front wing we have had for a while [from Spa]. Before the summer break, we had that too, so nothing new here."

Verstappen is not quite satisfied with the balance yet. "But we're looking at that now to see how we can get that done better." One thing is for sure: pole position will be very important at Zandvoort, where it is difficult to overtake. "Yes, that's one hundred percent the case." Will it be the best Saturday of the year? "If we are on pole yes, otherwise not."