Verstappen saw Red Bull RB18 improvements: 'Then the car became more agile'

There was little to fault the RB18 with which Red Bull Racing captured both world titles in 2022, but the car had one obvious limitation: its weight. It was among the heaviest cars on the grid, but Max Verstappen expects this will no longer be a problem in 2023.

The high weight was the biggest limitation for the RB18. Not only in terms of speed, it also affected the car's agility. "Once we started to get rid of the weight, the car became more agile," Verstappen explained to GPblog and other media.

The new tyre compound from Pirelli, which falls between the C1 and C2 compounds in terms of hardness, making it the second hardest compound in the spectrum, could also play a role in improving agility and reducing understeer, according to Verstappen. "With the new tyres, I think it is a little improvement," the Dutchman said of the new compound.

"We only tested it fully in Abu Dhabi, we have to see it on every track that it works everywhere," the two-time world champion continued. Moreover, weather conditions and asphalt temperatures can affect tyre performance. "But I am confident that everything will be heading into the right direction," concluded Verstappen.