Max Verstappen Confident In RB19 Performance - "It Feels Nice, Well Balanced"

The Red Bull driver shows confidence for upcoming 2023 season.

Max Verstappen dominated the 2022 season winning his second championship at the Japanese Grand Prix and driving the Red Bull team to victory of the constructors' championship at the Austin Grand Prix. Verstappen continues to be confident into the 2023 season as he discusses rivalries and the RB19 during the Bahrain GP drivers' press conference.

Red Bull continued to look strong over pre-season testing last week despite their limit on wind tunnel testing, with many F1 insiders believing the Austrian team will be almost untouchable in the upcoming 2023 season. 

As the Belgian-Dutch driver heads into the season where he will hope to take his third consecutive championship win, he explained during the Bahrain Grand Prix drivers' press conference:

"We had three really good days. I think also just in general, the progress we made over the winter was very good.

"But we have to show it this weekend. But not only this weekend, you continue to develop and every track is also a bit different in terms of behaviour of the car. 

When asked where the RB19 excels, Verstappen responded:

"Everywhere. Let's see, [we] always strive to improve, it feels nice, well balanced.

"Every team lost a bit of performance with the floor. But you always try to gain that back in a way. So you have to find a bit of a new balance with the car but it's been it's been good."

With Red Bull's dominance in 2022, Verstappen was asked who he felt their biggest competition was going into 2023. He replied:

"The team who is close to us. 

"But also I think at the end of the day, we form ourselves because we have to stay on top of things and we cannot afford to make too many mistakes.

"We're not robots, everyone makes mistakes, but you try to minimise [these]."

The first free practice session will commence tomorrow ahead of the season opening race on Sunday 5 March.