It wasn't the start to testing that Red Bull Racing had hoped for when Aussie racer Daniel Ricciardo became the first one to stop out on track and bring out the red flags. However, oncew they sorted the gremlins, Daniel did manage to get back on track and post the fifth fastest time.
For day two, the new RB13 got into its stride, with Max Verstappen posting a total of 89 trouble-free laps as he got his first taste of the new 2017 contender.
The Dutchman's best time was a 1:22.200, a satisfying result that also saw a thumbs up for the increased pace of the new cars….
"We had a very positive day with not too many issues and we've done quite a lot of laps so we can be happy," Max said. "For us it's not about showing how quick we can be at the moment. It's the first test week and the second day, so it's much more important to get some mileage in and to check if all the parts are okay. We'll focus on lap time later on.”
"The speed difference compared to the cars from last year is a good step; it's definitely more enjoyable through the faster corners. You also have a lot more traction going through the slow corners and that was very difficult to find a good compromise with last year. But with such wide tyres and such big cars that's a lot better now. Of course it's more demanding but that's what we trained for in the winter so you have to be up for it."
