Max Verstappen: We don't have the fastest car.

      At the official FIA press conference in Melbourne, Max Verstappen answered questions about the prospects of Red Bull Racing in the new season. The reigning world champion admitted that the RB21 is not the fastest car in the peloton, but added that the balance of power could change over the course of the season.

      Max Verstappen: "We are in good shape, but we will know for sure at the end of the weekend. The team will try to do everything in our power, but our options are limited. During the tests, we identified areas that need to be worked on, and we will continue to do so.

      The new car is definitely a step forward compared to last year, but as I said, there are areas that need to be worked on. The track in Melbourne is different from the track in Bahrain, so you need to drive a little differently, but we will continue to move forward step by step.

      It's hard to say how things will turn out at the moment, because our car isn't the fastest right now, but it's going to be a long season. If you had asked me about the shape of the team last year in Australia and at the end of the season, you would have received completely different answers. Everything changes very quickly in Formula 1.

      I didn't think about whether the most difficult season was waiting for me. There's no reason to think about it. It's important to keep working hard on and off the track, eliminate the features of the car that I don't like, try to make fewer mistakes and earn points."