The first practice session for the Portuguese Grand Prix kicked off earlier today. Sometime during the session, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was not particularly happy with his car. Apparently, the Dutchman was dealing with severe vibrations in his car and it was getting highly uncomfortable.

He complained on the radio, “What a joke, mate! I can’t even see where I’m going, there’s so much vibration. I’ll just visit the dentist after the weekend”. Despite the complaints, he still managed to bang in a decent lap time to finish 2nd, and teammate Sergio Perez was third.

Meanwhile, Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas ruled the roost, as he topped FP1. However, things were not so rosy for Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes. As it turned out, he was also struggling with vibration issues like Max Verstappen, though not to the same degree.

What lies ahead for Max Verstappen in Portugal?

Admittedly, the Algarve International Circuit could be seen as a track that suits the Mercedes, especially since Bottas dominated in all three practice sessions in 2020. Later on, he bagged a front row finish, and eventually finished third. Now, Bottas will be keen to bag a clean sweep and do what he could not do last year.

Meanwhile, Verstappen will lead the Red Bull charge to prevent the Mercedes boys from getting away. The Dutch driver has a hugely talented and competent teammate, in the form of Sergio Perez, who was third in FP1. Of course, Lewis Hamilton will try and make up for his little FP1 hiccup and get back to the front.

However, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen are not easy people to just displace. Verstappen is Hamilton’s main rival in the 2021 season, and Bottas will be fired up to redeem himself after a slow start to his campaign. Speaking of Bottas, he has drawn first blood in the weekend by topping the first two practice sessions. Soon, Free Practice 3 will kick off in a few hours’ time, and qualifying begins a little later in the day.

READ MORE: WATCH: Sebastian Vettel Makes Embarrassing Pitstop Blunder in FP1 at Portimao

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