It’s fair to say Max Verstappen wasn’t best pleased during the first practice session ahead of Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old finished sixth in P1 and complained about his car’s handling throughout as Daniel Ricciardo recorded the quickest lap time.
Verstappen remains the clear favourite to post a race win on Saturday but was audibly angry as he ranted at his team down his microphone, saying “everything is s***… like miles off.”
Impressive P1 for McLaren
Ricciardo, meanwhile, finished ahead of second-placed McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.032 seconds, with Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri third.
Ricciardo is racing for RB, Red Bull’s junior team, and they will hope the Australian’s performance in P1 will bode well for the F1 season.
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Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in his Mercedes while teammate George Russell finished seventh.
Daniel Ricciardo goes fastest in the first practice session of 2024 ⚡ pic.twitter.com/iakAARRHyM
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 29, 2024
Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner spoke to Sky for the first time since being cleared of misconduct allegations following an investigation.
“We’re here now very much to focus on the grand prix and the season ahead and trying to defend both of our titles,” Horner told Sky Sports. “I am pleased the process is over but I obviously can’t comment about it.”
Asked if the team was unified amid reports of unrest, he said: “Within the team it has never been stronger.”