Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has tempered expectations ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Dutchman heads to the Bahrain International Circuit on the back of his victory in Japan. Despite the strong win, he’s explained that although the win in Suzuka was a “good boost for the team,” the upcoming race will be “tough.” Verstappen commented in the Red Bull race preview:
“To win in Japan was an amazing moment for the Team and a perfect send off for Honda, who we have had such a great relationship and a lot of success with over the years. It is amazing to have four wins in a row there and was a great start to the triple header. It was a good boost for the Team and now we can hopefully go into this week with a bit more confidence.
“Bahrain is typically somewhere where we have gone well; the track is very technical and, of course, it is under night race conditions which is a bit different. It is going to be hot and think it will be tough race for us.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
The Milton Keynes outfit has been struggling with its 2025 contender, the RB21, since the start of the season. Rookie Liam Lawson struggled to adjust to the car, which saw him demoted to the sister team, Racing Bulls. Verstappen has also voiced his concerns, adding:
“There are still things to improve on the car: we are still working on our tyre management and lacking some pace so we will just need to work hard and constantly push the car to the limit. However, I do always enjoy going there so looking forward to seeing what this week brings and hopefully we can maximise the performance of the car as best we can.”
Vertappen’s win in Japan has closed the gap between him and current drivers’ championship leader Lando Norris to just one point. The latter has accumulated a 62 points in the first three race weekends of the year, and Verstappen has 61 points.
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