"May be if you had hired Carlos Sainz it would have been a smooth operation": Fans react to Red Bull's pessimistic reaction to the F1 pre-season test

F1 fans have shared their mixed reactions after Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache claimed that the Bahrain pre-season test was more turbulent than expected for the Austrian team. Many fans have even claimed that the team is trying to manage expectations before the start of the season.

Red Bull ran a different run-plan to most teams in Bahrain, as after its two drivers Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson alternated on Day 1, each of them ran the full day on Day 2 and 3. Neither of the drivers set the fastest time on any of the three days but reports suggest the RB21 looked impressive, especially in the hands of Verstappen.

But Pierre Wache explained that the three days of testing was not as smooth as expected for Red Bull, but clarified that he feels it is better to understand the shortcomings of the car in testing, rather than after the season begins. He said:

"It was not as smooth a test as we expected and the team expected, but it is better to find some problems here than later down the line and it is why we are here, to understand the car." [via Sky Sports]

Fans reacted to this statement by the Red Bull man, as some claimed that the team may be hiding its true performance. Instagram account @f1tamil claimed that the team should have hired an ex-driver of theirs, for a 'smoother' test.

"May be if you had hired Carlos Sainz it would have been a smooth operation 😉"

Screen grab of fan reaction via instagram [via instagram@skysportsf1]

"Isn't that what redbull always say then win 9 out of 10 first half races," wrote another user.

Screen grab of fan reaction via instagram [via instagram@skysportsf1]

"No one believes it," said another user.

Screen grab of fan reaction via instagram [via instagram@skysportsf1]

But a few Red Bull Racing fans also shared their hopeful beliefs, keeping the optimism alive before the start of the season.

"If there's any team capable of pulling a worldie out of their gearbox at the 11th hour, it's Red Bull. Maximum focus, still the best outfit on the grid with the best driver," claimed another fan.

Screen grab of fan reaction via instagram [via instagram@skysportsf1]

"What testing is about. Gathering the data and analyze. Bit of sand bagging as well, we hope! Car looked strong for a lot of testing but a bit of residual RB20 trauma maybe," said yet another fan.

Screen grab of fan reaction via instagram [via instagram@skysportsf1]

Red Bull is heading into the 2025 season, hoping to return back to the top of the constructors' standings, with a shuffled driver lineup as Liam Lawson joins Verstappen. While Verstappen defended his drivers' title in 2024, Red Bull slipped to third in the constructors' following a McLaren and Ferrari resurgence.

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Max Verstappen shared that Red Bull still had work to do post the Bahrain test

Max Verstappen in the Red Bull garage - 2025 F1 Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen shared that Red Bull had 'still a bit of work to do' on its car post the three days of testing in Bahrain. The Dutchman highlighed that amid a positive final day, there is still room for improvement before the first race of the season in Australia.

Speaking after the conclusion of the test, Verstappen explained that he felt relatively good in the car on the final day, but expressed the need to improve further and learn from the data in the coming days.

"I think we had a decent day today. There were a few little problems, but overall, we completed quite a bit of what we wanted to do." [via Formula1.com]

"I think it wasn’t bad, but at the same time there is still a bit of work to do. However, it is what we expected and we will keep on working and keep on trying to improve and, hopefully, as we go into Melbourne, we will learn a bit more by going through all the data and see where we are at," he added.

Verstappen explained that it is difficult to predict where the team lies in the pecking order for the upcoming season, saying that they do not know the real pace of any other team either.

The 27-year-old ended the final day in second place, only 0.021 seconds away from George Russell in first. This performance provided some hope for Verstappen and Red Bull fans, amid multiple reports prior to the test suggesting that both McLaren and Ferrari could have a quicker package than the Austrian team heading into 2025.