Formula 1
VERSTAPPEN DOWNPLAYS RED BULL’S PACE BUT STILL OPTIMISTIC
Published
1 year agoon

Red Bull ended the 2020 season by beating Mercedes in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but by that point the dominant team of the V6 turbo-hybrid era had long since completed another title double.
Max Verstappen is generally happy with the work already done by his team and expects the winter tests to put Red Bull Racing in a good position to get off to a flying start in Bahrain in two weeks time.
Max Verstappen has hailed Red Bull’s “very positive” start to Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain as he revealed his first proper impressions of the RB16B.
The Dutchman had a productive day as he topped the timesheets on day one of the pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, and he will get a second extensive run behind the wheel of the team’s updated 2021 challenger on Sunday afternoon.
Red Bull has enjoyed a strong opening two-and-a-half days of running in Bahrain so far but Verstappen stressed it was a “bit too early” to suggest the Milton Keynes squad heads into the new season in a better shape than previous years.
“At the end of the day, it’s a test,” Verstappen said. “The amount of times that Mercedes has topped testing in the last few years is not that high. It doesn’t really say a lot about pure performance. For us it’s just all about gathering a lot of data.

“I think what the most important thing was just to get a lot of laps on the board and understand the car, what you want to do with the set-up, and try things on the car as well.
“I have to say they were all responding like we would have hoped so I think that was very positive.”
Red Bull’s RB16 was considered to be a notoriously tricky car to drive in 2020 and Verstappen suggested the team has taken a step forward with the new rear-end on its updated RB16B successor.
“From my side I mean it’s never good enough but it was stable enough to feel comfortable in the car,” Verstappen explained. “It was all good. Yeah there are of course things that can be done better so it’s what we’ll focus on when I’m in the car in the afternoon.
“It’s not about taking the fuel out and trying to do a Q3 run or whatever. You know more or less what you want to do and what you want to get from the car that’s the most important,” he added.
“I think you always want to improve in every area, it’s never good enough, so we just look into every area where we can improve and there is nothing shocking at the moment.”
Verstappen downplayed the notion of Red Bull being the early favourites in 2021 despite Mercedes’ most troubled pre-season test for some years.
“I don’t think we are the favourites if Mercedes wins that many championships in a row,” he insisted. “So I think it is still the same as before we came to the test, so yeah not much more to add.”
VERSTAPPEN DOWNPLAYS RED BULL’S PACE VERSTAPPEN DOWNPLAYS RED BULL’S PACE
STRONG START FOR RED BULL AND PEREZ
Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for all the latest updates between issues.
You may like
-
Hamilton sees parallels between 2009 and 2022
-
Another knockout for Haas in Montreal
-
Third place gives Hamilton “Hope”
-
Verstappen overtakes Clark and Lauda in number of F1 victories
-
FP2 : Mercedes duo in top three
-
FIA : Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant
-
F1 Spanish GP : Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 and Max in FP1
-
Imola Qualifying : Verstappen beats Leclerc
-
Leclerc wins the 2022 Australian Grand Prix
-
Magnussen ‘can’t believe’ stunning P5 finish in Bahrain GP
-
Bahrain Race F1 2022 : Leclerc leads Ferrari one-two
-
Pole Bahrain F1 2022 – Leclerc beats Verstappen
NEWSLETTER

Hamilton sees parallels between 2009 and 2022

Another knockout for Haas in Montreal

Third place gives Hamilton “Hope”

Verstappen overtakes Clark and Lauda in number of F1 victories

FP2 : Mercedes duo in top three

FIA : Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant

F1 Manager 2022 reveal trailer

VIDEO – Lewis Hamilton receives his knighthood

HIGHLIGHTS EPRIX 1 – DE VRIES WINS WET VALENCIA

VIDEO – MICK SCHUMACHER’S SEAT FIT

VIDEO BACK TO WORK – VALTTERI’S 2021 SEAT FIT
