The first day of pre-season testing saw an unusual scene: Max Verstappen dominated the timesheets, while Mercedes dangled at the bottom. The times themselves don't mean much, but Red Bull Racing are going into the rest of the weekend with a positive feeling.
Helmut Marko delighted with Verstappen result
Verstappen drove 139 laps and set the fastest time, something Helmut Marko could not suppress his delight about. "That was the best first test day we've ever had," he said in a conversation with F1-Insider.com. "There were no problems, Max could even play with the car a bit."
Mercedes, on the other hand, ran into gearbox problems, which had to be changed after just one lap. In the morning Valtteri Bottas could only do six laps, and in total over the whole day, the team only did 48 laps.
This is a stark contrast to Red Bull Racing, who are used to not starting the season so strongly. Obviously, this makes Red Bull and their fans feel good, but it's too early to draw any conclusions. Besides, we haven't seen Mercedes at full strength yet, so it remains to be seen what this day will mean for the upcoming Formula 1 season.