"I think they will be dead last" - Max Verstappen comments sarcastically on Mercedes playing down their performance

Max Verstappen has made sarcastic comments about Mercedes downplaying their performances ahead of the new season. The Dutchman joked that the German team should come dead last if their comments are anything to go by.

The new season has come with its share of cold comments between drivers. During the pre-season testing period, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton claimed that their F1 cars were significantly behind on development when compared to those of Red Bull and Ferrari.

Max Verstappen, however, feels as though the two drivers are intentionally downplaying their car's performance levels to throw off their opponents ahead of the new season. Speaking in a pre-practice interview, he said:

“I think they will be dead last. According to their comments they have an awful car. And they have had that from 2017, from pre-season testing. No, we’ll find out. I don’t know for sure if they will be competitive.”

Red Bull and Ferrari cars are proving to be the best and most consistent ahead of the new season, with all drivers comfortably placing in the top seven during the first practice session of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. Mercedes, on the other hand, seem to be falling short as of yet, with Russell and Hamilton considerably slower than their main rivals.

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Max Verstappen feels he does not have a point to prove in 2022

The Dutchman claimed he has no need to prove himself in the latest season. The Red Bull driver feels as though he has proven himself through his stats in his championship-winning season. Many, however, feel as though Verstappen's victory in Abu Dhabi was tainted by a mismanaged safety car.

The 24-year-old had a stellar 2021 season, having taken the fight to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton despite having an allegedly inferior F1 car. The Dutchman broke Michael Schumacher's long-standing record for the highest number of podiums in a season – with 18.

Speaking about his 2021 season, Max Verstappen said:

“No, I proved that with the most wins, most poles and most laps led (in 2021). People forget that. They only look at Abu Dhabi apparently. We have more races than only Abu Dhabi in a season.”

The reigning world champion Verstappen topped the time charts at the end of FP2 in Bahrain, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz following closely behind. While it is certainly too early to say whether these two teams have out-and-out developed the best cars in 2022, fans can look forward to seeing closer battles between Red Bull and Ferrari in the new season.