Max Verstappen came on top of the timing charts after the first day of testing wrapped up in Bahrain.
Max Verstappen and Red bull seemed to have continued with red-hot form from last season. Verstappen topped the timings chart as the first day of testing wrapped up in Bahrain.
The Dutchman edged out Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso by 0.029s and also clocked the most laps of the day. Red bull was the only team to give only a single driver the whole day for testing with Sergio Perez not driving even a single lap. Verstappen alone completed 157 laps on day 1.
Max Verstappen was also delighted by the first day of testing in Bahrain. After completing the laps, Verstappen said:
“It was good. A lot of laps, so that’s of course what we wanted. [It was] basically a smooth day [with] no issues.
“We could really focus on the car, try a few things, to understand also the new tyres for this year. We got loads of running during the day when it was really hot, or kind of hot, and in the evening as well – so a pretty okay day.”
“[The car is] a bit of an evolution from last year. I think last year was more a time where you were really adapting to the car, really understanding what you had to do,” he continued.
“Of course, with all the knowledge from last year, I think it’s already a much easier start for everyone to come back here. It’s nice to see the new car, how it has evolved from last year, how the behaviour is a bit different, and also because of the tyres.”
Asked if the RB19 will be a step up in comparison to RB18, Verstappen replied:
“It’s difficult to tell at the moment, but the car is running well, and I think that’s the most important.”
Friday testing will be different for the Milton-Keynes-based squad. The team will give the opening hours to Sergio Perez while Max Verstappen will again take the wheel afternoon.
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