Though not yet sure about the pace of the RB21, Max Verstappen believes that the Red Bull Racing challenger for 2025 is “working well”. Verstappen, who beat McLaren’s Lando Norris to the 2024 Drivers’ Championship despite challenges with the RB20, finished the first day of F1 pre-season testing third on the timesheets, just 0.244 seconds off Norris’ top time of 1:30.430.
“From the driving I did today everything felt good,” said the Dutchman, who took over from new teammate Liam Lawson for the afternoon session.
The four-time world champion completed 74 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit—17 laps more than the standard race distance of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Lawson, who participated in the morning session, recovered from an early spin, to complete 58 laps. He finished eighth, 1.13 seconds off Norris.
“Everything is working well” – Verstappen
Despite setting the third-fastest time of the day, Verstappen cautioned against any conclusions regarding the pace of the RB21, as the team did not yet know their overall pace. However, he described the day as an overall positive one, noting that he had felt “in control” of his car.
“We don’t know pace yet but everything is working well and the car is doing what I want it to do. It is all in control and that is what we can hope for really to start off my testing.”
Verstappen added that the team’s priority was to learn as much as possible from F1 pre-season testing, so that they could improve the car and gain control of any issues.
“We are constantly learning and trying different things and will continue to do so.”
“It is not about hitting the perfect lap but it is about working on our testing programme and learning what direction we need to push the car forwards to get it under control.”
