Red Bull have gained on Mercedes, but not Ferrari - Verstappen
Red Bull have gained on Mercedes, but not Ferrari - Verstappen
Max Verstappen believes that Red Bull-Honda have made gains towards the pace of Mercedes via the production of their new engine, but reckons they are still some distance away from matching Ferrari, who have displayed an extreme pace on straights this season.
Honda became Red Bull’s new engine supplier last year after the team opted to terminate their partnership with Renault, and since then the new relationship appears to be paying dividends, with Verstappen sitting third in the driver’s championship.
Verstappen to take penalties in stride if it means more powerRead more
Ferrari displayed their new pace in pre-season testing and although they have had an abject start to the season with no wins from three, the power of their new engine is apparent.
When asked to compare Honda to Mercedes and Ferrari, Verstappen said:
"It depends where you look at. Compared to Mercedes, yes, but compared to Ferrari it's big, but it's for everyone. It's really big. It just seems they did a really good job with something, so you just have to work harder to try to close that gap.
Bulls in Baku 👌 Looking good ahead of the #AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 #F1 pic.twitter.com/l9yMAqed2L
— Aston Martin Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 25, 2019
"I think we are closer to Mercedes, but it's always difficult to really say if it's better, because everybody is always improving. For our side at the moment is that we are able to maximise the result all the time, which has been a third and twice fourth, without retiring, so that is sometimes more important than maybe gaining a tenth but then breaking down all the time.
"I think in the race in general we are a bit more competitive so again, in qualifying it's mainly just Ferrari that stands out, like it's massive.
The Dutchman doesn’t mention specifics about how Ferrari have gained so much speed, but thinks they can provide a benchmark for Honda to aim towards.
"Like I said before, they found something there that really works, so it's good because it gives motivation to Honda to work even harder, which they do anyway,” he added.
Verstappen will receive an engine upgrade ahead of the Azerbaijan GP this weekend.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 News Today: Team announce SHOCK hire after quitting rivals as Wolff speaks out on Hamilton behaviour
- 52 minutes ago
Vettel announces F1 return as FIA single Mercedes out for Miami checks - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
F1 team announce SHOCK signing weeks after rival departure
- Yesterday 22:57
Former team boss quizzed on role in Newey's Red Bull exit
- Yesterday 21:57
RB reveal STRIKING new livery ahead of Miami GP
- Yesterday 20:57
EXCLUSIVE: Insider claims F1 Academy and W Series couldn't co-exist
- Yesterday 19:57
Related news
Red Bull partner reveals HUGE F1 2026 entry details
Newey and Hamilton could enjoy stunning title REPEAT after F1 guru's Red Bull exit
Why Adrian Newey is the BEST and WORST thing to happen to F1
Lawyers involved as Newey aims to work for Red Bull rival ASAP
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860