Max Verstappen enjoyed 89 trouble-free laps around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the second day of testing on Tuesday.
The Dutchman posted an impressive time of 1:22.200 on his first race-paced outing in the RB13, which was enough to finish third quickest.
Speaking after the session, Verstappen implied Red Bull Racing had similar priorities to Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team and are putting the car through its paces, testing its reliability.
“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,” he 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.”
Verstappen also agreed with the other drivers that the changes in regulations have resulted in more downforce and thus more grip, though they’re suffering for it physically.
“The speed difference compared to the cars from last year is a good step; it’s definitely more enjoyable through the faster corners,” he continued. “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.”
