Max on high expectations: 'It's up to us to show it'

Published on 20 February 2023 by Niels Hendrix

Next Thursday the three-day Formula 1 test starts in Bahrain, followed by the first Grand Prix of the 2023 season at the same Sakhir circuit a week later. Max Verstappen is scheduled to be behind the wheel on the first day of testing as well as on the Friday afternoon. On Friday morning and Saturday, his Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez will take on driving duties.

"When you see the new car, it starts to itch to get to work with it again," says Max, who was happy to take a break from the long 2022 season with a well-deserved holiday. "I know another very long season is coming up, so when we start in Bahrain, it's important to get through the test days well. Hopefully we will have a better start to the season than last year."

It is still too early to talk about expectations and good results, but Max says: "Hopefully we will score very well. After a year in which we became champions with the team, the pressure is obviously high. It is now up to us to show it and we are confident. But you have to perform every year, regardless of the previous year."