While Red Bull driver Max Verstappen ran the fastest lap in three days on the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, he said he and the team had yet to give their full strength, and the same was true for other teams.
The Dutch driver took full advantage of the RB18's upgrade on the final day, finishing the afternoon test to compete with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and top the table with a margin of 0.695 seconds.
While Verstappen's performance provides some initial clues about the true strength of Red Bull Racing, the ST world champion believes he and the other drivers have not yet reached their full strength, saying: "At this stage, everyone will not run in qualifying mode. ”
Verstappen explained that the best part of the last day was not the lap time, but that he was finally able to start understanding the different sizes of the tyres and confirmed whether the new side cases had the desired effect.
He said: "I think the focus is on the tyres that we're going to use for next week's opener, the car feels good and we've completed our own predetermined plans, I think it's the positives. ”
"Of course our car is in better shape with low fuel and a little sluggish at heavy fuel, but it's the same for everyone. As for the performance of the new version of the air power parts, it is also in line with our expectations. ”
Asked if the upgrades would be used for next week's opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen replied: "It's effective, so hopefully we'll keep it." ”
Verstappen's performance in pre-season tests has made Red Bull racing one of the most promising teams before the start of the new season, Ferrari seems to be very strong, and Mercedes and McLaren seem to have experienced more trouble on the hotter and more bumpy Sakir circuit in Bahrain.
Verstappen explains that Red Bull Racing seems to have taken a step forward compared to the Barcelona circuit with different characteristics, saying: "Compared to the first test, it is more of a track factor, the surface of the Bahrain circuit is rougher, the temperature is higher, and the track layout gives it a completely different feel than Barcelona. ”
"We learned a lot about the new cars, so we were able to make the cars faster and I think that's what everybody wants to do."