Red Bull dominates but remains cautious

Max Verstappen expects to see Ferrari and Mercedes step up their pace on Saturday while Daniel Ricciardo sees the positive side of things despite his penalty.

Published on 20/07/2018 à 19:35

⁰ View comments)

“Good”, that's the word on everyone's lips in the clan Red Bull after the free practice day for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. This Friday, Daniel Ricciardo set the best time in the first session (1'13''525), a few hours before his teammate Max Verstappen didn't do better in the afternoon (1'13''085).

For the latter, the day was ideal, but he certainly does not want to put the cart before the horse. “The car was well balanced. It's a nice surprise to start the weekend this way, but it's only Friday. Others (Ferrari et Mercedes) will be faster in qualifying. »

Happy to be fastest, although it's only Friday. The car felt good on all compounds. All in all we had a positive day #KeepPushing #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/tumYcsl7sQ

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) July 20, 2018

Max Verstappen wants " to wait for ", especially since climatic conditions could change. “The weather can have a big impact on our weekend. » The only heat of this day was the oil leak in Free Practice 2. “We lost a few practice laps, I didn't have the ability to lead long stints. At least I was able to do a few loops at the end of the session just to check that everything was okay. »

Daniel Ricciardo started the meeting with a heavy penalty. The Australian has the assurance of leaving from the back of the grid for having changed three mechanical elements on his car. “I prepared myself before the start of the Grand Prix that I would take a penalty. I'm looking forward to getting back through the pack and having fun. For me it will be satisfying and it should be quite fun for the spectators », prefers to be positive about the double winner in 2018.

Daniel Ricciardo all smiles. © Red Bull Racing

First in Free Practice 1, Daniel Ricciardo subsequently dropped to 13th place. Worrying? “I focused on the long stints. The priority was to prepare the car because the qualifications will be useless for me. The pace is good and the car is fast. » Daniel Ricciardo therefore prepared for his Sunday this Friday, and we will have to take stock on Sunday to find out if this tactic paid off.