Verstappen looks back on first day of test: "The car is completely different"

With the first day of testing in Spain, Formula 1 has officially begun the run-up to the start of the new season in Bahrain. For three days, the brand new cars can be seen at the Barcelona circuit so that the teams can prepare themselves as well as possible for the new, record-breaking season. At Red Bull Racing it was Max Verstappen who was responsible for the first day of testing.

Fast times were not really driven by Verstappen, but productive the Dutchman was. Verstappen - and with him his team Red Bull - were the most productive team in Barcelona after Ferrari. In total, Verstappen clocked 147 laps, four less than Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz combined at Ferrari.

In the first reaction to Verstappen.com the Dutchman is positive about his first experiences with the RB18. He points out that Wednesday was mainly about driving as many laps as possible and getting used to the car. "Everything worked fine today, so it was a good start."

Verstappen is also positive about the look of his new car. "The car is completely different, but of course the important thing is that it is fast." Verstappen eventually drove the ninth fastest time of the day, but as Verstappen himself points out, the times don't matter today. "The most important thing is to drive a lot and let the different parts get mileage."

On Thursday, Verstappen will remain on the sidelines and his teammate Sergio Perez may take a seat in the car. "We're going to see tonight what we can already learn and take with us to tomorrow, when Checo will be in the car," he said. On Friday, Verstappen will again step into the RB18 for a half day.