Verstappen admits it's hard to measure real performance of his F1 car in Australia

Max Verstappen says it's always tricky to draw real conclusions from the opening Formula 1 race of the season. The Dutchman will start his sixth F1 season in March and the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver is now highly experienced. 

"It is hard to say whether we have started to increase performance in Australia. You need a few races to be able to see the shape. Australia is sometimes a bit strange and can give a distorting image," Verstappen told Grand Prix Radio. 

At the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen gave Honda their first podium finish since they returned to the sport but they had to wait until the Spanish Grand Prix before stepping on the podium again. 

Verstappen went on to finish third in the world championship, ahead of both Ferrari drivers. In 2020, Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to beat some records set by Michael Schumacher and ultimately equal the German's seven titles. But Verstappen and Red Bull Racing will be doing all they can to challenge the current champion.

Australia might not give us a clear image, but it did show the contrast in results compared to the Ferrari dominance in pre-season testing.