Max Verstappen shares 'only good surprises' verdict after the first day of the F1 Pre-season test

Max Verstappen suggested that the Red Bull RB21 had some positive surprises after his first day of running at the 2025 Bahrain F1 preseason test. Speaking in a team statement, the reigning world champion was pleased with how well the car suited his driving demands.

Verstappen completed 74 laps in the morning session of the first day of testing and was satisfied with his initial feel of the car. He set the third-fastest time of the day, just 0.244 seconds off McLaren’s Lando Norris. His best lap of 1:30.674 was also 0.087 seconds slower than Mercedes’ George Russell.

The RB21 is an evolution of its predecessor, the RB20, featuring relatively minor but crucial refinements. The RB20 struggled with a narrow setup window, making it difficult for drivers to extract consistent performance across different circuits. While it had impressive downforce and speed, balance issues often hindered its full potential. In contrast, the RB21 has been tweaked to broaden that setup window, allowing for better flexibility in optimizing the balance of the car. Although its core design and concept remain similar to the RB20, Red Bull has fine-tuned key areas to improve drivability and eliminate inconsistencies from the previous season.

Giving his initial feedback after his first day of testing, Max Verstappen said:

“From the driving I did today everything felt good. Only good surprises which was good. We don’t know pace yet but everything is working well and the car is doing what I want it to do. It is all in control and that is what we can hope for really to start of my testing."

"We are constantly learning and trying different things and will continue to do so. It is not about hitting the perfect lap but it is about working on our testing programme and learning what direction we need to push the car forwards to get it under control,” Max Verstappen added.

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Christian Horner was unhappy at fan behavior towards Max Verstappen at the F1 launch event

Red Bull Racing CEO Christian Horner found it disappointing that fans booed Max Verstappen at the F1 launch event in London. He felt the situation was similar to launching a car in a rival’s stadium. He acknowledged that the changing landscape of the sport and the growing audience had led to changed and polarized fan behavior. However, he believed the reaction would have been different if the launch had taken place in the Netherlands.

Both Verstappen and Horner, along with the FIA, were on the receiving end of boos during the event. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem described the behavior as “tribalist,” while also recognizing the contributions Horner and the reigning champion have made to the sport.

Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, at the press conference during the Bahrain test, Horner said:

“Launching your car is a bit like launching your away strip in a home fans stadium. Fans will always back the teams and drivers they want to. Of course we have been the protagonists over the years. The only disappointment I had with it was the reception to [Max Verstappen] as a four-time world champion, that was disappointing. But passion in sport is always going to be there. If the launch had been in Holland, no doubt the reception would have been somewhat different.”

“The fans are the DNA of the sport and the fandom has changed over the last few years as we have been welcoming more diverse fans to the sport. Sport is polarizing and competitive, any sport in the world fans are passionate – they support their drivers, they support their teams, you can’t dictate that. We are delighted to race with such a big audience, you are going to get different reactions depending on where you race in the world.”

Jos Verstappen condemned the booing directed at Max Verstappen during the F1 launch event in London, calling the behavior of the British fans unacceptable. He even suggested that the Dutch driver might boycott similar events in England in the future. Booing has become an increasing trend in the sport, particularly at races and fan zones. Since the incident, Max has not addressed the subject in his media interactions during testing. However, with his scheduled appearance in the press conference on the second day of testing in Bahrain, the topic could come up for discussion.