Max in Bahrain: 'We focus on our own development'

Published on 10 March 2022 by Stefan Meens

Whilst Oracle Red Bull Racing team mate Sergio Perez was lapping the Bahrain International Circuit in the RB18, Max Verstappen spoke to the media in the paddock. It is one of the many commitments the world champion has on the first day of the test, alongside other interviews, photo and video sessions, as well as briefings with his engineers.

The talk of the paddock is the extensive upgrades Mercedes showed on their new car, notably the shape of the sidepods. Max: “I’m not worried. We’ll focus on our own car and our own development, like we do every year. We still have a lot to learn.”

Similar to the Barcelona test a couple of weeks ago, Max does not read too much in the lap times of the competition. “It’s all about doing as many laps as possible to see if all parts are reliable and to understand the car. This will help us find the right set-up during the season, regardless of where we are racing.”

The Dutchman adds: “You can use tyres at the test here in Bahrain that you can’t use during the Grand Prix. Also, you can do runs with less fuel, which means you’re faster through the corners and are able to accelerate quicker. So it’s not too difficult to see that it’s fairly easy to look faster than you actually are.”

On Friday, Max will drive the RB18. He is keen to try the new Pirelli tyres, especially with track conditions in Bahrain being significantly different to the Barcelona test. “There, the tyres felt a bit better than the ones from last year. It was easier to get them up to temperature and they appeared the overheat not as quickly. That’s important if you want to follow other cars more closely. But just because it was better in Barcelona, doesn’t mean it’s the same here in Bahrain.”