'Sensitive' Max Verstappen explains 'unacceptable' Red Bull radio fury

Max Verstappen launched a withering critique of his gearbox over team radio during FP2 at Spa-Francorchamps, branding the shifting on his RB22 "unacceptable" before later explaining the outburst was a product of his heightened sensitivity.

The four-time F1 drivers' champion had topped FP1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, for the first time all season.

However, his frustrations boiled over early in the second hour of running as the gear shifts on his Red Bull provoked anger from the 28-year-old.

"My God, these ******* shifts!" Verstappen fumed over team radio during the early stages of the session. "Unbelievable, man, why are they so ****?! It's unacceptable, this. My God."

He ultimately finished FP2 in third, almost half a second adrift of Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes, with McLaren's Lando Norris splitting the pair.

Speaking after the session, Verstappen played down the severity of the problem, attributing the shifting issues to a software change that needed time to calibrate.

"I'm always very sensitive to these things because I want to work on that and improve it," the Dutchman explained.

"I think there was a software upgrade, or downgrade, that it took a bit of time for the shifts to learn basically, and then it got a bit better again at the end.

"Some bits were working well, and other times it wasn't working, but overall the car has been in a decent window."

'Tough track for energy management'

Beyond his gearbox complaints, Verstappen spoke to the wider energy management challenges of the power-sensitive, energy-poor Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

The track's long straights and limited heavy-braking zones place enormous demands on the new-for-2026 power units.

Despite those concerns, the 71-time grand prix winner was relatively upbeat about the overall balance of the car heading into the final hour of practice, even if he anticipates that session to be more representative.

"For me, I didn't really have big problems... [but] probably in FP3 we will see a little bit more the real gap," he said. "Still, it's nothing shocking; it's expected.

"It's just a bit of a tough track with the energy management as well. It seems we are a bit slower on the straights compared to some of our competitors. But balance-wise, it's been quite okay."