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Max Verstappen will be the first Red Bull driver to hit the asphalt in the upcoming pre-season testing session in Barcelona later this week.
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Red Bull confirmed that the reigning world champion will get the first full day to take the RB18 around the Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday, February 23. Team-mate Sergio Perez will follow Verstappen on Thursday before the pair split driving duties for the final day of testing on February 25.
According to a report by racingnews365.com, the final schedule for the last day is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, during the launch event of the RB18, Max Verstappen confessed that he wasn't feeling any extra pressure going into the season as the defending world champion. The 24-year-old said:
“The biggest adaptation this season will be the new regulations, we’ll need some time to get used to the car, it is not like you just jump in and it’s an upgrade from last year. The rest is pretty straightforward, I don’t feel any extra pressure this season, I will just do what I do all the time because I don’t think there is any reason to be different. Now I just can’t wait for that first moment when I drive out of the pitlane in the RB18.”
Max Verstappen spotted in secret shakedown of new Red Bull RB18
While Max Verstappen will get his first crack at the new RB18 in Bahrain on February 23, the Dutchman was already involved in a secret shakedown of the new car.
According to a report carried by Dutch publication De Telegraaf, the session was under 100 kilometers long and both Verstappen and Perez got an opportunity to drive.
The session gave a preview of the team's actual car, as they displayed only a mock vehicle during the launch. At the launch, team principal Christian Horner even revealed that the car will change by the time the season starts in Bahrain. He said:
“With the new regulation changes this year, the whole philosophy has altered, which means every single component is different to last year’s car. It’s a clean sheet of paper for every single team. By the time we get to the first race, the RB18 won’t look much like it looks today, the evolution will be very quick as we progress through the season.”
With the new technical regulations in place, it remains to be seen if Red Bull's final product will be as competitive on the track as expected.
