Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will drive their new RB18 ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona next month.
The first pre-season test in F1 will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from 23rd to 25th of February this year. Ahead of the regulation changes, teams are looking forward to testing their new cars out on track when the time comes.
With the new season fast approaching, drivers don’t have a lot of time to adjust to the new mechanical packages. As a result, everyone involved will be looking to get the most out of these testing sessions.
However, it seems that the Red Bull drivers will be able to get an early feel of their new cars on track. According to RN365, the Austrian team wants Verstappen and Perez to share driving duties for a 100km running.
Out with the old, in with the new Fresh for 2022 pic.twitter.com/x6nltgolNU
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) January 19, 2022
This test will probably take place in Silverstone, with the iconic track being the closest to their Milton-Keynes factory. This test is done as a part of the ‘shakedown’, which teams often take part in before the onset of a campaign.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed their shakedown plans in a recent interview.
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Three days of pre-season testing aren’t enough for Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez
F1 teams are allowed to take part in ‘shakedowns’ before the actual pre-season testing starts. In those sessions, the drivers are allowed to cover 100km distance at most, and are required to run the specially designed demo tyres from Pirelli.
“In terms of testing, we’ll do the usual shakedown, prior to heading down to Barcelona and Bahrain,” Christian Horner said.
“With a new car, it’s not a lot at three days a drivers, it’s pretty intense. But it’ll certainly make the first part of the season. For the fans and the followers, more interesting.”
The opening 2022 pre-season test in Barcelona is officially closed to the public.https://t.co/a3X8C077M8 #F1 pic.twitter.com/9nnz7I44dx
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) January 15, 2022
Red Bull will be looking to pick up where they left off in the 2022 season. Last year, Max Verstappen became their first Drivers’ Champion since Sebastian Vettel in 2013. Verstappen took home the crown after a season long battle with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
In spite of the change in regulations, Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko is confident that Mercedes and Red Bull will go neck to neck for the Championship yet again.
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