Verstappen takes Mercedes into account: 'Then they'll have a fast car too'

For the first time in a long time, Mercedes seems unable to fight for victory in the first race of the season. With Lewis Hamilton in P5 and George Russell in P9, there is work to be done for the German team, who have clearly missed the mark at the start of this season.

Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, on the other hand, have managed to design a fast car for this season. On Sunday, the battle for victory also seems to be between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, the men on the front row. However, the Dutch world champion estimates that Mercedes can also still play a significant role.

Verstappen is not writing Mercedes off just yet

"They are still bouncing right now, but once they fix that, they will also be driving a fast car. We know how well Mercedes can develop during the season," Verstappen explained to Auto, Motor und Sport. Last season, he was on his way to the world title, when Mercedes and Hamilton managed to come back strong in the last few races of the season, leaving the championship to be decided only in the final round.

"I experienced that last year when they got faster and faster towards the end of the season. There are still many areas of these new cars that nobody has explored yet."

So this season, it's not only speed that will be important, but also the speed of development that will play an important role. So with many factors still unknown, there is still a lot of potential for the teams this season.