MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- Max Verstappen said a combination of traffic and an older-spec engine left him 0.964s off Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo during Thursday practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Ricciardo was fastest in FP2 ahead of the two Mercedes drivers, while Verstappen had to settle for fourth -- nearly a second off the pace. Ricciardo is running the sole updated Renault engine on offer to Red Bull this weekend, but Verstappen said the power deficit was not his only disadvantage.
"For sure there is more horsepower [on the updated engine], but for me I try to do the best with what I have and hopefully we can keep going like this," he said.
"On my short runs I had a bit of traffic, also with Sebastian [Vettel] when he spun and I was behind him. Of course his was a great lap time but I think we are almost there and for sure I will look into the data tonight to improve my car.
"The most important thing is to stay away from the walls and get confident."
Asked if he could take his second win in a row this weekend after his debut victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen added: "I don't know yet, I just have to focus on trying to get the car better and then just go from there."