Verstappen Admits Red Bull 'Needs to Be Faster' After Norris Dominates Abu Dhabi Practice

Max Verstappen is feeling pessimistic about his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix chances, as Red Bull appears to lack the pace to challenge McLaren in the 2025 Formula 1 title showdown. Championship leader Lando Norris topped both FP1 and FP2, putting significant pressure on Verstappen, who needs a strong performance and potentially some help to secure the title.

Why it matters:

With the 2025 F1 title on the line in Abu Dhabi, any signs of a performance deficit from Max Verstappen and Red Bull are critical. Lando Norris, holding a 12-point lead, only needs a podium finish to secure his maiden championship. Red Bull's struggles in practice suggest a challenging weekend ahead for Verstappen, who has won the last four championships but is now on the back foot against a surging McLaren.

The details:

• Verstappen finished runner-up to Norris in both Friday practice sessions: +0.008s in FP1 and +0.363s in FP2 at Yas Marina Circuit.
• Norris currently holds a 12-point lead over Verstappen and a 16-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri, making a podium finish sufficient for the McLaren driver to clinch the title.
• Verstappen admitted, "I was fairly happy with the car, we just need to be probably a little bit faster," adding that the car's ride is a "constant fight" and both single-lap and long-run pace need improvement.
• Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko echoed Verstappen's concerns, stating that neither the long-run nor one-lap pace was "satisfactory," specifically highlighting significant time loss in sector three due to a tendency towards understeer.
• The struggles were more pronounced in the sister RB21, with Arvid Lindblad finishing 15th in FP1 and Yuki Tsunoda 17th in FP2, indicating a broader car performance issue.
• Marko expressed doubt about Mercedes or Ferrari being quick enough to challenge Norris, suggesting Verstappen will likely need operational or strategic errors from McLaren to win the championship. He emphasized that Red Bull "can't rely three times on mistakes."

The big picture:

This season finale marks a dramatic turnaround, as Red Bull has clawed back a significant points deficit. After McLaren dominated the first 15 weekends, Red Bull's upgrades at Monza and Verstappen's five wins in the last eight races have brought him into contention. Despite the current practice struggles, Marko praised Red Bull's "excellent comeback" and the team's motivation to challenge for the title.

What's next:

Red Bull will work overnight to optimize the car, with Verstappen hoping to find crucial improvements for qualifying and the race. The onus is on Verstappen to deliver a flawless performance, while also hoping for external factors to swing in his favor if he is to overcome Norris's significant advantage. The championship battle is set to go down to the wire, with McLaren seemingly having the upper hand in pace heading into Saturday.