Max Verstappen is the reigning champion of Formula One with back-to-back driver’s titles. They even won the constructor’s title last year. Verstappen and Red Bull will be eager to win this year too. Christian Horner and the team waited to get back to their dominance on the grid for a long time. Red Bull dominated from 2010 to 2013, with Sebastian Vettel steering the wheel.
But the great Lewis Hamilton changed the course of the F1 hegemony in Mercedes’s favor. Since 2014 it has been Hamilton and Mercedes who had their name on the world driver’s title and constructor’s title. However, the course changed yet again when the Dutchman burst onto the scene for the Austrian team. The 25-year-old Max Verstappen brought back the glory days of Red Bull.
The fans and the team would hope they continue like this for a more extended period. Boss Christian Horner and Verstappen must be ready for the stiff competition coming their way from Mercedes in the new season. If the Silver Arrows fix their problem with the latest W14 car, they will be hard to beat. But the current double-time champion is equally ready for any challenges that come his way. Everybody on the grid is aware that the Dutchman is the one to beat.
How Was The Opening Day Of The 2023 Pre-Season Testing For Max Verstappen?
The testing day ended on a happy note for the Red Bull team. The RB19 car looked good and raised promise for Red Bull to have another successful season. As expected, the current double-time champion finished at the top of the table with 1m 32.837s impressive scores. However, the breaking news is perhaps Max Verstappen is not totally happy with the car. When asked about the car, he did not commit that RB19 was better than the car in the previous year. The Dutchman mentioned, “it is hard to tell right now if it is better than the one in the last year.”
Verstappen also added, “looking at the bright side, the car is running smoothly and fast. That’s what is more important.” He also expressed that it feels different this year as a driver as things have changed from a year ago. Like a year ago, the drivers had to adapt themselves to the new rules regarding sweeping regulation. But they don’t have to do it this season. The Dutchman added, “last year was different because the most important thing was to understand how the car works. And as a driver, what you can do differently. So this journey has been nothing short of an evolution.”
The Red Bull ace expressed that the transition has been easier this time. According to Verstappen, “the behavior of the car is different due to the new tires.” He described the opening day as “smooth.” Max Verstappen liked the fact that there are more laps this season precisely what they wanted. The Red Bull driver mentioned that they could try a few more things with the car, but the overall morning, afternoon, and evening sessions have been pretty okay.
