Smooth Start for Verstappen: RB21 Meets Every Expectation

Max Verstappen kicks off testing in Bahrain with confidence, praising the RB21’s performance and control, as Red Bull starts strong.

Red Bull Racing got off to a strong start in its private testing in Sakhir.

After 200 kilometers of shakedown yesterday at the Bahrain circuit, the RB21 was back on track with Liam Lawson driving in the morning and Max Verstappen in the afternoon.

The New Zealander completed 58 laps and finished with the eighth-fastest time of the day, though these times are not yet meaningful.

“I had a lot of fun today, and it was really great to finally drive the new car properly and get some laps in.”

“I feel good behind the wheel, but it’s obviously very early, so for now, it’s mostly about learning. There’s still a lot for me to take in as I adapt to a new team, but on the team’s side, we’re just trying to learn more about the car and optimize these test days.”

“We had a planned set of test elements, and we managed to follow the entire program, which is always a good thing. Tomorrow, we’ll go into the day with more running and a better understanding of what needs improving. It’s hard to say where we stand in terms of pace, but the car feels good to drive and comfortable.”

“Testing is just as important for me as it is for the team to learn more about the car. Maximizing these days before Melbourne is crucial.”

For Verstappen, it was the third-fastest time of the day, behind Norris and Russell, with 74 laps completed. So, does this RB21 suit him better?

“From what I felt today, everything went well. Only good surprises, which is great.”

“We don’t know the pace yet, but everything is working well, and the car does exactly what I want it to do. Everything is under control, and that’s really all we can hope for at the start of testing.”

“We are constantly learning and trying different things, and we will continue to do so. It’s not about setting the perfect lap but about working through our testing program and understanding in which direction we need to push the car forward to master it.”

Pierre Waché, the technical director, praised “a good day of work with both drivers.”

“With Liam in the morning, we tried some setup changes to see how the car reacted, then in the afternoon, when we switched to Max, we continued the program with another setup adjustment to better understand the car for the next two days of testing.”

“We used two compounds, C2 and C3, for both drivers, mainly to complete consistent laps rather than focusing on extracting the best lap time. The priority was to understand how the car responds.”