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Max Verstappen Says His Red Bull RB18 Will Be ‘Completely Different’ Come Bahrain

Reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is going to have his work cut out if he hopes to retain his title in this upcoming season. It all starts with two rounds of pre-season testing, the first (in Barcelona) having just concluded last week. The second stage will kick off in Bahrain on March 10 through 12 and drivers such as Verstappen are already looking forward to it.
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen 6 photos
Photo: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Racing driver Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing driver Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing driver Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing driver Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen
Despite a solid start to their pre-season campaign in Barcelona, Red Bull was only fourth overall in terms of how many miles they put in at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – with 34 fewer laps than Mercedes over three days.

When asked to assess his team’s performance in Spain, Verstappen stated the following: “It’s difficult to rate. What was positive is the car was running smooth, I was happy with the balance – but Bahrain is going to be completely different, so heading into race one, the car will be completely different as well.”

He then went on to say that he “just focused on doing a lot of laps and try to really nail down every single aspect of the car.”

“The car runs really well. In general, the weight is a bit up, but I really enjoy driving the car, it has a nice stable balance and I think they look cool as well – that's always nice to jump into.”

That right there is a rare instance in which a driver praises the way these new grand effect cars drive. Then again, they’ve only just started driving them, as all previous work had been done in the simulator.

The 2022 Formula One season is scheduled to commence on March 20, in the same venue as this upcoming pre-season test, Bahrain. By the way, Verstappen will be in the #1 Red Bull instead of the #33 – one of the perks of being the champ.
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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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