Max Verstappen finds silver lining in new Red Bull despite F1 criticism

Max Verstappen has uncovered an area of positivity in his latest Red Bull machinery, despite the criticism he has so far levelled against F1's all-new cars.

The four-time F1 champion has expressed his extreme displeasure at how F1 has moved towards a more battery-oriented era, with the cars now powered by a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical energy.

Across the two pre-season tests earlier this month in Bahrain, Verstappen did not back down from his initial comments in the first, describing F1 as "FE on steroids", to the second, in which he declared that F1 should rid itself of the battery altogether.

But there is one aspect to what Verstappen has so far experienced that he has enjoyed, notably his overall feelings with the RB22, given the fact that every nut and bolt is new, in particular, with the team developing its own PU for the first time.

"Internally, for us, it has been a very positive start to the year," said Verstappen, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365.

"Building a whole new power unit from the ground up, it's been really impressive to see, and it's been really enjoyable working with everyone. It's a very proud moment for all of us.

"Maybe the start wasn't that great for the team, and [in the first Bahrain test] we had one day where it was a bit more difficult, but I guess that's to be expected, right?

"Overall, I'm very happy with the car in general. We don't have too many, let's say, problems, so that's been okay."

The car appears to be in the mix going into the first grand prix of the new season in Australia in March, alongside rivals Mercedes and Ferrari, with constructors' champions McLaren appearing to be slightly adrift.

Whilst the focus has been on the obvious battery harvesting and deployment, the cars have at least suggested they have improved grip compared to their predecessors over the past four years during the ground-effect era, and that the drivers could still play a key role.

"You're fighting the grip," said Verstappen. "You're on the limit of what you have, for sure, it's just not as much at the moment."

Appreciating the Bahrain International Circuit offers a poor feeling when it comes to grip due to the aggressive nature of the asphalt, he added: "It doesn't help that you have a lot less downforce.

"At the same time, with the tyres, they don't give you a lot of combined grip at the moment. It makes it all a bit more difficult, and it's hard to manage."