F1 News: Max Verstappen Optimistic - "Happy With What We Did Over The Winter"

Max Verstappen's optimistic yet pragmatic outlook sets a focused tone for the upcoming Formula 1 season.

In the lead-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has expressed his satisfaction with the off-season progress made by his Red Bull team. With pre-season testing underway, the anticipation grows, yet the reigning champion remains focused on the task ahead rather than the competition.

Key Takeaways:

• Max Verstappen is not preoccupied with the final results ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
• The driver feels positive about the team's efforts during the winter and is in peak condition.
• Verstappen prioritises competing for the title over winning every race.

Max Verstappen, currently piloting the RB20 today at pre-season testing, shares a blend of optimism and realism as the Formula 1 season begins to open up to the world. With the Bahrain Grand Prix on the horizon, the focus is intensely on how the RB20 will perform under competitive conditions. Despite this, Verstappen's mindset is clear: perform to the best of his ability and let the car's speed dictate the results.

The 26-year-old Dutchman conveyed to Viaplay a sense of calm assurance, highlighting the irrelevance of speculating about his and the car's readiness at this stage. 

"'Normally', of course, that's not how it works in Formula 1. You know, I don't even think about that. I just want to go to Bahrain, do my thing, and if the car is fast, it's fast. And if the car is fastest, then it's fastest, and then we'll win the race."

He continued:

"Everyone is very motivated, everyone is I think also happy with what we did in the winter. Of course, time will tell if it's enough compared to the other teams.

"Of course I am always strict with myself, but I never set real goals before I go into the season. Of course, the most important thing is to compete for the title, and then it doesn't really matter if you win all the races, or just enough races to become champion."