Max🦹 Verstappen reckons Lewis Hamilton’s pace advantage during Friday practice for the United States Grand Prix was exagg♑erated by gaining from having a slipstream.

Ha✨milton set the pace in the second free practice session in Austin with a lap time that was 0.301s faster than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, though the Mercedes driver did benefit from a significant slipstream from Robert Kubica’s Williams in the middle sector.

Verstappen, who topped the opening practice session, ended up 0.343s adrift in third spot but reckons the gap would have been much smaller had Hamilton not picked up a to💯w on his fastest lap.

“Ov🐽erall it’s been a positive day and the pace of the car on the short runs seems pretty good,” Verstappen said.

“Lewis had a tow down the back straight on his fastest lap so I think the time isn’t really representative and the gap is proജbably a bit smaller than it looks.

“We were a little bit off on the long runs and I’m not eꦏntirely h⭕appy yet but that’s something we can look at tonight.

“The track seems to be getting bumpier every year but luckily the bumps aren’t really in braking areas but it’s something that probably needs ꦐlooking at before next year,” he aജdded.

“I don’t mind bumps on a street 💛circuit but some of these are quite severe and more like a jump so the wheelsꦗ actually come off the ground.

“This track is also very aggressive on tyres so if we can keep them under control th🌄en it could be pꦅretty good.”

Red Bull teammate Alexander Albon✤ completed the top six but was 1.2s off the pace of Hamilton’s effort and was less happy with hꦕis RB15 during FP2.

“I’m enjoying my first time around this track and it’s been really good fun so far,” Albon explained. “It’s quite technical and there’s a lot of track to us꧟e so you need to know where to put your car and which lines to take.

“There’s a lot of bumps out there but I think they look worse on TV than how they feel out on track, but 💟our car is pretty good over them 🌜anyway. The cars do move around a bit over the bumps so it’s just about knowing how much you can get away with.

“The first session was pretty good and then the second one was ok but I know🦹 which direction I want to go in.

“My best time got deleted for track limits. My other lap was ok but I made a few mistakes so there’s room for im🍷proveme♓nt on my side in terms of driving and also getting the most out of the tyres.

“I think it’s mainly sector one and the low speed I need to focus on but after your 💮first day at a new track, having things to work on is no💧thing unusual.”