Max Verstappen romped to a dominant win during the season opener in Bahrain last Saturday. He completed a Grand Slam weekend, starting from pole, winning the race by leading every lap and getting an extra point for the fastest lap. Despite this dominant display, Verstappen feels his team need to work on two important aspects of the car.
According to the 26-year-old, Red Bull cannot rest, as the upcoming races could turn out to be a harsh reality check for them. Verstappen has outlined two key areas of the RB20 that the team needs to work on over the course of the season.
On the BBC F1 Chequered Flag podcast, Verstappen said, “I think there are plenty of things we have to understand more. How to maybe get a bit of more one-lap performance out of the car, how to look after our tires better.”
In terms of qualifying, Red Bull don’t seem to be too far ahead. The other teams were a bit too close for comfort. Verstappen grabbed pole by just two-tenths of a second. Things could have turned out very differently, if Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz or George Russell found a little bit more time in their final run. Hence, his wish of having one-lap race seems understandable.
Meanwhile Red Bull, seemingly, had the least amount of tire degradation of any other car on the grid. Verstappen was even the last of the twenty cars to pit for the hard compound tire. As for the second stop, both he and teammate Sergio Perez pitted for softs, which lasted well until the very end.
Despite this, Verstappen wants Red Bull to work on bettering tire degradation. This suggests there is something about the car he knows, that others don’t.
Max Verstappen looking to play to Red Bull’s strengths
The Bahrain International Circuit is not easy on the tires. The track surface is arguably one of the most abrasive on the racing calendar and a two-stop pit strategy has been the norm for quite some time.
Despite this, the RB20 seemed to show no issue with tire wear. This could come into play next weekend as F1 moves onto the Saudi Arabian GP. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit has a smooth tarmac and it could really play into the Bulls’ favor as they seem to have their tires already under control.
Max Verstappen is on a streak of eight consecutive wins, taking last year into account. Currently, the record for the longest winning streak belongs to him (10). For sure, he will look to break that. For that however, the Dutchman has to first win the Saudi Arabian GP, for which he is once again the favorite.
