Verstappen minimizes his Baku exit

Just half an hour after the start of the first session on Friday, the Dutchman had to end his run prematurely due to an off-track exit at turn 5 into the protective barriers.

The incident occurred while Verstappen must face increasing pressure, the result of an eventful start to the season marked by spins and collisions. Asked about the causes of the accident, the pilot Red Bull didn't really offer an explanation.

« There was a little wind but I don't know, I lost the rear and ended up in the wall, Verstappen said. We had to find the rhythm by feeling our way on a slippery and dusty circuit. I paid the price. It's a shame obviously but it didn't disrupt the rest of our program too much because the mechanics did a great job repairing the car. It's fast and that's the main thing. ».

The Batavian had a more productive second session, punctuated by the 3rd best time, a tenth behind his teammate Daniel Ricciardo. But Verstappen still had a few scares, first by shooting straight on his first flying lap then at the end of the session when he started to slow down on the track, fearing an engine problem.

« We thought there was a problem but found out it was a faulty sensor so no reason to worry, everything was fine ».