“Improved but haven't totally solved it” - Red Bull provide update on Max Verstappen’s flapping rear wing during FP3

Max Verstappen's car has been dealing with an issue with its DRS (Drag Reduction System), but the problem is not of the same nature as that of Mercedes, whose rear wing was declared illegal by the FIA at the Brazil Grand Prix.

A fluttering DRS flap was once again seen on the Red Bulls during practice for the Qatar Grand Prix. The issue is especially noticeable when the DRS flap on the RB16B is in the open position.

Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner claimed the problem was fixed after the first practice session on Friday. There were no problems in the second free practice session, but the issue resurfaced during Saturday's final practice.

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Rear wing problems at Red Bull limited to Max Verstappen's car

Max Verstappen is no stranger to faulty DRS flaps. At the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix, the 24-year-old nearly lost pole position to Lewis Hamilton due to his DRS flap not functioning as it should have.

Commenting on the issue, Christian Horner told Sky F1:

“We saw he lost a lot of straight-line speed just down the last straight and it looks like the DRS hasn’t opened properly.”

However, the Red Bull driver hung on to beat title rival Lewis Hamilton to pole at Zandvoort by just 0.038s in a closely-fought qualifying session.

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, on the other hand, has faced no such reliability issues with the DRS flap on his car, implying that the problem could be due to the difference in set-ups between the two drivers. Red Bull say that while they have improved the condition of the DRS flap, they haven't solved it entirely.

Valtteri Bottas was fastest in free practice one, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. With Mercedes looking like the team to beat, Red Bull F1 will be hoping to resolve the DRS issue in Verstappen's car before qualifying.