Verstappen reveals precise Red Bull F1 testing objectives

Max Verstappen has revealed the targets Red Bull are looking to hit during pre-season testing.

Verstappen completed a full day of testing on Wednesday (February 21), banking 142 laps and topping the timesheets with a blistering 1:31.344 - over a second quicker than second fastest McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Despite little being known about either team's run plans, the gap between Verstappen and Norris was eye-catching as the Dutchman was able to complete two race distances without any reliability maladies.

READ MORE: F1 pundit reveals 'hidden tricks' in Red Bull design

Red Bull need to work on slow corners

For the second day of testing, Verstappen handed the controls of the Red Bull to Sergio Perez, who completed a whole day of running on Thursday.

Verstappen, who won last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix, had driven the RB20 prior to arriving in Bahrain, conducting a shakedown at a wet Silverstone before the car’s official launch last Thursday.

Adrian Newey’s latest creation is strikingly different to its predecessor and features a Mercedes-style ‘cannon’ cooling system and a new sidepod design.

Red Bull will be looking to achieve something they failed to do in 2023 by completing a perfect season, having been one race shy of doing so last year. That race in question - where Red Bull struggled significantly - was the Singapore GP, as a set-up issue and a poorly timed safety car meant Verstappen could only finish fifth with Perez further back in eighth.

"In Bahrain, we have to learn to understand the car in order to be at the front right away," Verstappen explained to Speedweek. “We know exactly what we need to improve for 2024.

"Compared to other track types, for example, we struggled on street circuits. Slow bends didn't suit the car, and we weren't good enough in terms of handling on bumps or kerbs either.

"But I'm curious and excited. It's always a marvellous thing to experience how a new racing car is created. The first important moment is always the seat test, then you can feel the fever rising."

READ MORE: F1 testing 2024: Dates, times and how to watch live

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