"Zero grip": Max Verstappen delivers blunt feedback on Red Bull after FP3

F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands - Final Practice - Source: Getty
F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands - Final Practice - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen has given a damning verdict on Red Bull's RB21 following the end of the Dutch GP's Free Practice 3 session in Zandvoort. Verstappen ended up in P5 at the end of the 60-minute track running.

Ad

At the ongoing 2025 Dutch GP race weekend, McLaren has been dominating at the front and is by leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. At the end of Free Practice 3, Lando Norris topped the session with a time of 1:08.972, and Oscar Piastri came in second place (+0.242s).

In Max Verstappen's case (+0.953s), he felt that he had 'zero grip' during the Free Practice 3 session, and thus, after the end of it, he added the following via team radio:

Ad
"It's very marginal differences. For me everywhere you have a tailwind its almost like the car just stalls, you know? Like, just zero grip."
Ad

The RB21 has proved to be a bit of a difficult machine to completely get on top of in the 2025 F1 season. It does not have the might to challenge for the drivers' world championship, and this is one of the reasons why Max Verstappen has only two races in the first 14 rounds.

In the Hungarian Grand Prix, before the start of the recently concluded F1 summer break, Verstappen again had a torrid time on the race track as he managed only a P9 finish.

Ad

Max Verstappen doesn't see a 'top five' heading his way in Zandvoort qualifying

While Max Verstappen has complained over the team radio in regard to the lack of grip at the Zandvoort race track following the end of FP3, following the end of Friday's running, he deemed even a top-five finish in the upcoming qualifying as a tough prospect.

Ad

In line with this, the reigning world champion added the following:

“It’s just tricky, plus the layout of the track also probably doesn’t suit our problems that we have with the car. Just understeer, that’s my main problem. And you know, in the middle sector there are a lot of long corners, so it’s not, not, not great."
Ad
"I think it will be hard enough to be in that top five it looks like. But we’ll see. Aston Martin is surprisingly strong, and Mercedes is more or less on par. Ferrari seems to have some more problems. It might be a battle between Aston Martin, Mercedes and us." (Via Planet F1)
Ad

With 14 rounds down and dusted in the 2025 F1 season, Max Verstappen is currently in third place in the drivers' standings behind the papaya duo of Lando Norris (P2) and Oscar Piastri (P1).

The upcoming qualifying session in Zandvoort will be extremely tight and could see some major names missing out on the top five in Q3.

Quick Links

Edited by Mitali
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications