The third Grand Prix of the 2021 season also means the third round in the battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton won in Bahrain, but Verstappen managed to win the race in Imola. In Portimao, there are again chances for both drivers and therefore they are both looking for the perfect setup, also Martin Brundle sees.
“Hamilton was complaining a lot about the grip and let it be known over the radio that there is still a lot to do with the set-up of his car,” Brundle explained to Sky Sports. He sees that Red Bull were already close in FP1 and expects it to be exciting. “Red Bull are close to Mercedes there and that’s great for the fans.”
Karun Chandhok let the same Sky Sports know that after the first free practice he sees a clear faster team, although the differences are very small. Mercedes already ruled Portimao in 2020 and Chandhok sees tentative signs that the German team will be the fastest again this year.
“It seems like this is more of a track for the Mercedes cars, but Red Bull has brought updates. I don’t expect Red Bull to have the lead as they did in Bahrain”. A lot will depend on the kilometres they can do in Portugal and the setup they can fine-tune as a result.
