Red Bull rises again in Monaco, Verstappen: “Positive day, but Ferrari is really strong”

Max smiles (finally) Finally a Friday of smiles and confidence for Max Verstappen in 2026. The four-time world champion closed both FP1 and FP2 in Monaco with the third fastest time of the day, beaten only by the Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc which seem to be the best single-seaters on the narrow streets of the Principality. However, the Dutchman was finally able to express words of appreciation towards his RB22 which has been causing him considerable pain since the beginning of the year. “To tell the truth, it was a rather positive day – Verstappen acknowledged into the microphone of the journalists present in Monte Carlo – we felt quite good in the car and it is particularly important, especially in Monaco, to have a positive feeling with the car. We just have to work to fine-tune some things. Ferrari seems really strong, so tomorrow we will try to get as close as possible to them. We are happy with where we are at the moment, but we always try to get the most out of the car, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow in qualifying”. Botto Hadjar On the other hand, Isack Hadjar’s Friday should be forgotten, victim of a bad crash into the barriers in FP1: “The first session was going well. I felt that I was gaining confidence lap after lap, so the accident took me by surprise – commented the Frenchman – the team did a great job in getting me back on track for FP2, it was impressive, so a big thank you to them. From then on the plan was to rebuild my confidence and, towards the end, I had a much better feeling with the car. I want to carry this feeling forward tomorrow.”

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-06-06 03:33:00