Max Verstappen has raised eyebrows after a detailed look at telemetry from the first two practice sessions at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, hinting that something unusual might be going on beneath the surface — despite his strong FP2 result.

The three-time world champion finished third-fastest in FP2, just 0.280 seconds off the pace set by McLaren’s Lando Norris, but Verstappen isn’t entirely convinced everything is as it seems.

“The car feels okay on the straights, but in some of the tighter sections, especially towards the final sector, there’s something that just doesn’t add up,” Max said after reviewing the session data. “We’re lacking the confidence to push fully there. I don’t know if it’s balance, the wind direction, or something else, but it’s not as clean as I want it to be.”

Telemetry showed that the RB21 had strong top speed, helping Max stay competitive despite struggling through the twisty middle and final sectors of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. But Verstappen pointed out that the data didn’t tell the whole story.

“You can see we’re fast down the straights — that’s clear. But through Turns 10 to 13, we’re losing too much time. I have to fight the car more than I should,” he explained. “There’s a weird kind of under-rotation when I go into Turn 17. We’re looking into it, but right now, something’s just not right.”

The Dutch driver, who won at this track in 2022 and again last season, is known for pulling off exceptional laps under pressure — including his clinical pole lap in Suzuka just a week prior. But the Jeddah circuit presents a different kind of challenge.

“This track is very flat, which usually helps us because we can run lower ride heights and maximize the floor performance,” Verstappen added. “But even with that advantage, the car feels a bit unpredictable this weekend.”

Despite the uncertainty, Verstappen remains confident that with the right adjustments, Red Bull can mount a serious challenge for pole position.

“If we get everything lined up — clean lap, good traffic, and the right setup — we can definitely be in the fight,” he said. “But it’s going to be close. McLaren look strong again, especially in the slow-speed corners. That’s where we need to focus overnight.”

McLaren’s superior cornering performance, especially through technical sections, has given them the edge so far, while teams like Alpine have shown surprising pace on the straights. But Max isn’t counting anyone out — least of all himself.

“I love this track. It rewards precision, bravery, and rhythm. You can’t afford to make a single mistake,” Verstappen concluded. “We’ll go through the data, figure out what’s going on, and give it everything tomorrow.”

With one final practice session to go before qualifying, all eyes will be on whether Verstappen and Red Bull can find the missing puzzle piece — and whether his feeling that “something’s not right” turns into a pole-position run, or a deeper problem waiting to surface.