Red Bull probes Verstappen and Hadjar struggles ahead of qualifying

The Red Bull Racing Head of Racing explained how the Milton Keynes-based team ran a split strategy across the sessions, while also addressing the issues Verstappen faced.

“We made a few tweaks to the cars, testing opposing directions for P2. Obviously, Max had limited running, unfortunately, with various issues, which we hope to resolve overnight,” Lambiase said during the team’s post-session debrief.

'GP', as he is fondly called, continued by emphasising that operational improvements remain a priority ahead of the competitive stages of the weekend in Melbourne.

“Operationally, there are a few things we need to address to ensure that we don’t slip up going into qualifying and the race as well,” he added.

Shifting focus to Hadjar, Lambiase pointed out the need for the team to review his mechanical setup changes before deciding the best course of action during the day’s running.

“On Isack’s side, I think we need to review the data from his mechanical setup changes in P2 and decide on the best course of action for tomorrow. This will also help Car 3 and Max. We’ll do our best, follow the simulations, and see how it goes,” he concluded.

The Red Bull outfit endured a mixed outing through Friday’s running in Australia. While the team recorded an impressive performance in FP1, the second session unfolded in a much trickier manner, with Verstappen suffering floor damage and Hadjar finishing only ninth.

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan revealed the extent of the damage to Verstappen’s RB22 after the Dutchman slid off at Turn 10 in Melbourne and skidded across the gravel.

Monaghan confirmed that the damage would keep the team busy overnight.