Oscar Piastri doesn’t reckon any of his F1 rivals will fancy their chances against Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the early stages of the upcoming season.
While neither the three-time champion nor his team topped the timesheets in last week’s three-day pre-season test in Bahrain, the general feeling in the paddock was that the Dutchman and the reigning constructors’ title holders were comfortably ahead.
The RB20, sporting significantly different bodywork compared to its dominant predecessor that clinched victory in 21 of last season’s 22 grands prix, marks a clear improvement over the RB19, sending a foreboding message to all competitors.
Despite McLaren challenging Red Bull on several occasions last year after introducing major upgrades to their car in Austria and Singapore, Piastri believes the team hasn’t closed the gap over the winter.
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Assessing Red Bull’s progress, Piastri remarked, “They don’t look slow, put it that way.
“On day one, Max looked very, very strong, and Sergio [Perez, on the final day] certainly looked a bit more comfortable than he was.
“They are the team to beat.
“How much their advantage is, I’m not quite sure, but it’s probably enough…yeah, it is enough of an advantage to be comfortable.
“For everyone else, I’m not sure, but I think Red Bull is definitely still the favourite.”
Piastri and McLaren teammate Lando Norris put in consistent performances over the three days, encountering only minor issues along the way.
McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella admitted that their technical department didn’t address all concerns from last season over the winter but noted a significant improvement compared to previous years.
Expressing his outlook on McLaren’s position going into the Bahrain grand prix, Piastri said, “I’d like to think that we’re somewhere towards the front of the grid.
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I certainly don’t feel at the moment we’re in a position to challenge Red Bull.
I’m not sure anyone on the grid particularly feels that way at the moment.
But I think we’re somewhere towards the front.”