The Dutchman finished top of FP1, ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, as the Maranello squad looked impressive again after a strong showing last time out in Monte Carlo.
Verstappen finished second in FP2, just behind team-mate Sergio Perez who felt he had his best Friday yet in the Red Bull machine.
But while Red Bull and Ferrari looked strong, the same could not be said of Mercedes with both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas struggling for one-lap pace and finding themselves well down the pecking order.
In the latest edition of the Autosport Podcast, Ariana Bravo is joined by Autosport’s Technical Editor Jake Boxall-Legge to discuss why Mercedes seem so far off the pace and the continued rumblings surrounding flexi-wings.
You can listen to the episode using the player below, or via all good audio platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.