In the first free practice at Imola, Max Verstappen had to make do without his trusted race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. Instead, he was paired with performance engineer Tom Hart for a challenging session on the Italian asphalt. Verstappen, without ‘GP’ in his ear, could only manage the fifth fastest time in Emilia-Romagna. So, why this sudden change?
According to Red Bull, the decision to bring in Tom Hart was all about gaining experience. By allowing Hart to run a free practice session, he could get a taste of what it’s like to be a race engineer for the team. However, this was a one-off test. In the second free practice, we’ll hear from Lambiase again. In retrospect, the first practice session was a good opportunity for such a test, as Verstappen’s challenging session gave Hart plenty to do.
‘It’s a Disaster’
Verstappen seemed to struggle with the balance of the RB20. The three-time world champion had to settle for the fifth fastest time. In the final stages of the first practice, he made several mistakes. While he seemed very dominant in the first sector, he took the corners too wide several times in the second part of the circuit. “It’s a disaster, I have no grip,” he exclaimed over the radio.
In his second stint on the soft tire, Verstappen even lost the rear of his car – he cut the corner over the grass. “I just don’t have any grip at the front,” the Dutchman complained. Hart tried to explain to him that he was ‘a bit weak’ in certain corners, but Verstappen couldn’t make sense of it. “But what does ‘weak’ mean?” he wondered aloud.
