Red Bull Racing look in strong shape after final day of testing

Red Bull Racing’s testing program in Bahrain concluded on Friday, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez completing 390 laps over three days to prepare for the season opener next week. Team boss Christian Horner was absent due to an investigation into allegations against him.

Following the most dominant season in F1 history last time out, the RB19 will be a difficult act to follow, but despite Ferrari topping the time sheets on two of the three days, both Red Bull drivers are confident heading into next Saturday’s season opening in the Middle East.

Verstappen, the world champion, said: “As we approach the race weekend, it is all about fine-tuning the car and seeing what the race has in store for you when you push the car to the maximum. We now need to look at the data more and try to devise a plan for the coming week.

“We’ve had a really positive test and we have learned a lot from everything we changed, so we are looking forward to next week.” Perez stated, “It has been a wonderful start to the year for the Team; we have gotten a lot of miles in the last few days. We put together a great run routine that allowed us to make the most of our days.

“Now it is time to look forward to the race next weekend, I have a good feeling in the car, so let’s see once we get to race it, but the feeling is very positive.”