Red Bull energized by Max Verstappen's #1 car, claims Christian Horner

Max Verstappen's new car number has been a source of rejuvenation for Red Bull going into the 2022 F1 season, according to team principal Christian Horner.

The 24-year-old became the first driver since Sebastian Vettel in 2014 to pick #1 for the season, as is the right reserved for a defending champion in F1.

Horner spoke to the media about Red Bull's showing during the first pre-season testing session in Barcelona, where he touched on the number change and how it has lifted the team. He said:

“I mean, sticking that number one on the car after all the pain that we went through last year, the fight that it was in 2021, and now the fight is to make sure we retain it on the car... it’s just energized everyone in the team. You can see a spring in everybody’s step and it gives people confidence as well, which is such an important thing in any sport – which is to not have arrogance, but confidence – and I think that runs through the organisation.”

Horner was also pleased with the overall effort put in by the team at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as the team set their sights on Bahrain next. He went on to add, saying:

“Yes, so far it’s great to be back on track – these new cars are very, very different, so it’s sort of a ‘get to know you’ process with this new car, the RB18, and so far, the feedback’s been good. It’s behaving as we expected and as our tools predicted. So, it’s been an encouraging start.”

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"#1 is the best number" - Max Verstappen thrilled to be running #1 on his car in 2022

Like the entire Red Bull stable, Max Verstappen too is flying high on the feeling of being the best in the world. Prior to the launch of the new RB18, the 24-year-old had been involved in a special exhibition event where he ran the #1 on a modified RB8 in sub-zero conditions against Austrian ice speedway legend Franz 'Franky' Zorn.

During the event, Verstappen shared his thoughts during an interview with Sky Sports F1 where the reigning world champion said:

“I mean how many times do you get the opportunity to swap no? And #1 is the best number out there. So, yea, for me it was very straightforward to pick the #1, and hopefully, #33 doesn’t come back next year. It looks a little different, but at the end of the day, it’s still a Formula One car… In testing, we can do a lot of laps and get a lot of information about the car, which is important. I can’t wait to start again.”

Max Verstappen's title defense under his new number begins with the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix that gets underway on March 20.