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WATCH: Verstappen gives 2022 Red Bull car the thumbs up
F1 cars have undergone dramatic changes this year as Verstappen and Hamilton prepare for another title fight.
F1 world champion Max Verstappen is happy with the RB18 machine Red Bull will be using this season.
Formula One world champion Max Verstappen gave his much-changed weapon for the 2022 season, the Red Bull RB18, the nod of approval.
As pre-season F1 testing in Barcelona got underway on Wednesday, Red Bull released a video showing Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez driving the car for the first time at Silverstone last week. Both gave the car the thumbs up, with team boss Christian Horner saying the Red Bull is raring to go this season.
This video is no longer available.
“The car looks good. The rules are very different this year and so it is nice to get your first few laps in and get a feel for it,” said Verstappen, who pipped Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances in the season finale in Abu Dhabi last year to earn his maiden F1 crown.
“I don’t have any aims for the season yet, I just want to rock up to the track and try and do the best I can, like I do every single year. If the car is quick, I am sure we can do a very good job again.
“I am looking forward to another fun year together with the team and Checo (Perez), he is a great guy and we really push each other, which at the end of the day is good for the team,” added Verstappen.
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Perez acknowledged all the work that has gone into the RB18.
“The RB18 looks really nice and very cool, you can see straight away the amount of work which has gone into this car. The number of hours the men and women back at the factory have put in to get the RB18 on track is incredible.”
Verstappen comfortably completed 147 laps in the RB18 on the first day on testing at Catalunya on Wednesday. McLaren’s Lando Norris clocked the fastest lap in 1:19.568, followed by the Ferrari pair of Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz, with Mercedes duo George Russell and Hamilton fourth and fifth.
Testing in Spain continues until Friday after which there will be a final pre-season testing opportunity in Bahrain from 10 to 12 March before the Bahrain International Circuit hosts the season opener a week later.
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