Source:REUTERS/Hollie Adams
[Saba Sports News] On the eve of the Australian Grand Prix, discussions in the paddock about the true capabilities of each team have been heating up. In response to external claims that Red Bull Racing was hiding its strength during pre-season testing, Max Verstappen offered a rather calm reply: he himself is unsure about the team’s actual position in the 2026 season and candidly stated that Red Bull is not currently the fastest team. This topic stems from speculation among competitors. George Russell had previously remarked that Red Bull’s speed during the Bahrain tests seemed suspiciously slow, noting that the RB22’s lap times suddenly slowed by about 0.7 seconds between the two tests, suggesting a deliberate concealment of true speed. Lewis Hamilton also expressed a similar view, believing that a fully unleashed Red Bull car has yet to emerge. However, Verstappen does not intend to engage in such speculation. He stated that he focuses solely on what he is doing and does not pay much attention to what other teams are doing or what others say.
The editor believes that many uncertain factors affect the speed of a race car. Once certain physical limitations are lifted, the tire thermal limits and human response capabilities become bottlenecks to actual speed. F1 speed is the result of the combined effects of various factors, including the power system, aerodynamics, tires, drivers, track, regulations, and environment; all are essential. The other competitors’ doubts regarding Verstappen’s hidden strength are unscientific.