WATCH: Max Verstappen’s Sarcastic Jibe at F1 Track Limits During Practice at Styrian GP

The F1 drivers finally hit the Red Bull Ring earlier on Friday for the first practice session. And, unsurprisingly, many exceeded the track limits, including the championship leader, Max Verstappen – all thanks to the high-speed nature of the circuit.

However, unlike in the past, the Dutchman managed to keep his cool when he realized the stewards deleted his lap time. What’s more, he gave a rather sarcastic response to his race engineer after receiving the radio message.

What did Max Verstappen say?

The Red Bull driver posted an impressive lap during the session, enough to improve his lap time quite well. However, then arrived the news from his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.

Apparently, the Dutchman ended up pushing all his four wheels off the red-and-white kerbs while exiting the final corner. Lambiase said, “Ok. Last lap, track limits – turn 10.”

Verstappen responded, “Lovely“, with a rather hilarious tone.

Track limits are going to be a burden for the teams, considering the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend. This circuit could prove extremely tricky under wet weather conditions, almost impossible to keep the cars under control over the high-speed corners.

Nevertheless, the title contender started the weekend off on a strong note, by leading the pack by the end of the first practice session. Meanwhile, neither of the Mercedes drivers looked threatening enough, as they ended up securing P3 and P4 behind Pierre Gasly‘s AlphaTauri.

Can Verstappen dominate under wet conditions?

Verstappen has always proven his strength when it comes to wet circuits. And that’s exactly how the weekend is likely to play out. However, could this pull his power advantage down against Mercedes?

Well, that’s extremely likely, considering the combination of Mercedes and Hamilton could deem threatening for Verstappen. Hence, to get a head start against Mercedes, Verstappen would need to secure pole position on Saturday, and the probability of that happening is high.

Why, you might ask? Well, rain god doesn’t seem too keen on coming down during the qualifying hours. Hence, the Dutchman can push his Red Bull to the limit during the session and possibly catch hold of P1 for Sunday’s race.

But will the potential rain during the race cause a stir in the grid line-up?

Watch Story: Mad Max: Verstappen’s Angriest Rants on Team Radio