Max Verstappen: Red Bull will know where they stand after China Grand Prix

Max Verstappen

Verstappen: Red Bull will know where they stand after China

Australia and Bahrain are enigmas.

Martin Macdonald

Saturday 23 March 2019 11:09

Max Verstappen believes that Red Bull will only know how competitive they can be in the 2019 Formula 1 season after the Chinese Grand Prix, as the races in Australia and Bahrain don’t provide a true reflection of a team’s performance due to their unconventional tracks.

The Dutchman and his team made a positive start to the campaign last weekend as he finished with a podium spot in Melbourne after finishing third.

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He reckons that not a lot can be taken from that result, however.

“Starting the season with a podium in Australia is really positive but Melbourne is not a typical circuit, so we can’t get carried away, and I don’t think we will really know where we stand until after China,” he told the official Red Bull website.

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Very happy to start the 2019 season on the podium ???? We had a great car, so a big thank you to @redbullracing and congrats to @HondaRacingF1 for their 1st podium in the V6 era ???? #KeepPushing ???????? #AusGP pic.twitter.com/pWNHWAsdGw
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) March 17, 2019

Verstappen puts Bahrain in the same bracket as Australia, as the weekend is different from most others due to the fact that practice takes place at a different time of day than qualifying and the GP proper, which both crossover into nighttime from the light of the afternoon.

“I enjoy the track and the transition from day to night is a challenge in terms of car balance, so that always makes it an interesting weekend,” he said of the Bahrain International Circuit.

“You never really know where you stand when you start qualifying because you haven’t had the optimal preparation as the track conditions aren't the same during practice. The middle sector, which is quite technical, is the best part of the Bahrain circuit and I hope it’s good for racing again this year.”