Max Verstappen expressed doubts about his chances of winning the Mexican Grand Prix unless Red Bull can improve their long-run pace before the race on Sunday. Verstappen set the fastest time in the second practice session, but McLaren’s consistent performance was concerning for the reigning world champion.
Having handed his RB21 to young talent Arvid Lindblad for the first practice session, Verstappen returned for FP2 and topped the timesheets, narrowly beating Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. Lando Norris finished fourth, while his teammate Oscar Piastri struggled in 12th place. McLaren’s high-fuel pace caught the attention of other drivers, indicating their strength on race day.
Verstappen admitted that their performance on the soft tires was good, but they faced challenges on the medium and long runs, struggling with grip and tire management. Helmut Marko shared Verstappen’s concerns, acknowledging that McLaren had the upper hand in terms of race pace.
Despite the potential for securing pole position, Verstappen and Marko are aware that maintaining the lead during the race will be demanding. The team will need to address their issues with long-run performance to stand a chance of victory on race day.