F1 testing | Max Verstappen: “It’s all about collecting laps and data”
The Austrian team adopted a different tactic reaching the second highest lap count in the first week of testing.
It was a good first week of 2020 pre-season testing for Red Bull as stated by their two drivers, Max Verstappen and Alex Albon.
After completing 471 laps, they handled the ninth fastest time of the week and as Verstappen said that wasn’t the aim of the practice.
That’s a wrap 🏁 The Bulls finish week one of #F1Testing with 471 laps on the board 👊 #ChargeOn 🤘 pic.twitter.com/wkILJAqOul
— Aston Martin Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 21, 2020
“It’s been good. I think for us, the most important for this week was all about just doing a lot of laps and doing a lot of tests on the car.” said Verstappen at the end of the testing.
“It was not about lap times. We just needed to see also reliability-wise if everything is working well, and I think I can’t complain with the amount of laps I’ve done!” then he finished.
In fact the Dutch driver accomplished 254 of 471 laps, immediately following Lewis Hamilton who achieved 273 laps.
Instead the second driver, Alex Albon, who debuted last year with the F1 team Toro Rosso at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, managed his first pre-season testing with Red Bull.
“I think we’re looking strong.” said Albon.
“I think Mercedes are looking strong as well. I think compared to last year, it’s a big step forward, so we’ve hit the running. I think there was a bit of chasing – I mean, I’m speaking as someone who wasn’t even here last year, but that’s what they’ve told me, so it’s going well so far.”
He also confirmed that the team will have other parts coming in the second week of testing which will be held in Barcelona from 26th to 28th February.
Therefore Red Bull will make more enhancements to the RB16 to prepare it for the first F1 race of the 2020 season in Australia.
