The long-run performance displayed by Red Bull-Honda during Formula 1 pre-season testing is “pretty promising” for its 2019 hopes, according to Max Verstappen.
Red Bull, which won four straight titles from 2010-13, has not battled for the championship in the hybrid era, taking a handful of Grand Prix wins in most seasons.
For 2019 it has linked up with Honda, which is entering the new campaign having retained the same power unit concept for a third year, the first time it has taken such an approach.
Neither Verstappen nor new team-mate Pierre Gasly – who crashed twice during testing – troubled the top of the timesheets, with the Frenchman’s best time 0.8s down on Sebastian Vettel’s pace-setting effort.
Gasly conceded that Red Bull does not currently have the single-lap pace to set the times achieved by Ferrari and Mercedes, but Verstappen was lifted by the race performance of the RB15.
“If we look to the longer runs, it looks all pretty promising, so yeah, I’m looking forward to start racing now,” said Verstappen.
“I think we have a pretty good package. And also the engine seems to work really well. So I’m really happy about that.
“Normally our car is very strong in the long run and on the tyres. It’s a long season. Even if Melbourne is maybe not amazing, who knows? I’m confident we can do a good job.”
Verstappen also heaped praise on Red Bull’s new power unit partner Honda, enthused by the off-season progress and working relationship that has already been cultivated.
“It was always a question mark for many people how it would perform,” Verstappen said on the Honda engine.
“But what we saw already from dyno testing and then again on track, it was very reliable and it did exactly what I wanted it to do. So I’m very happy about that.
“[And] I’m really happy with the co-operation between Red Bull and Honda. They are really working hard and very focused and very calm. Everything you ask from them, they are working back at the factory to improve.”
