Verstappen fears Red Bull ‘not quick enough’ in Abu Dhabi

Max Verstappen expressed concern after Friday practice in Abu Dhabi, admitting Red Bull needs to close a "decent gap" to be competitive for the Grand Prix. Despite feeling "fairly happy" with the car's balance, the four-time champion believes the RB21 is "not quick enough" yet, particularly battling persistent bouncing and ride issues. Verstappen, currently 12 points behind Lando Norris in the championship race, noted improvements are required in both single-lap pace and long runs. He remains hopeful his engineers can find crucial overnight gains to challenge for a fifth world title this weekend.