Why Red Bull drives relatively few miles on softest tyres

Max Verstappen is satisfied with the course of the first day of testing in Bahrain. The Dutchman himself will not be in action in the RB18 on Thursday, but teammate Sergio Perez manages to complete the program without any problems. Verstappen explained what his Austrian racing team is trying to focus on.

Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen was asked if there are any specific problems or if there is a special focus on anything. "At the moment it's just getting mileage and working more on the set-up of the car and also trying to learn how to deal with the tires because they are also very different [from last season]."

Learning to understand tyres

Of course, the 18-inch tyres were also driven during the first week of testing in Barcelona, but at the Bahrain International Circuit the rubber reacts very differently. The asphalt is a lot rougher than in Spain and it is also a lot warmer. Verstappen emphasised that this also takes some time to master.

During the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain the C1, C2 and C3 tyres will be used by the Formula 1 drivers. Verstappen indicated that Red Bull will not be using the two softest compounds (C4 and C5) as much during this test week. "You try to drive here as much as possible with the tires that will also be used during the race weekend. You can also go softer and set a fast lap time, but that's not what it's about," he concluded.