Verstappen 'can't wait' for Q3 to reveal rivals' real performance

Max Verstappen is impatient to see everyone unleash the power in qualifying next weekend in Bahrain to gauge the true performance level of Red Bull's rivals, and especially Mercedes.

Red Bull enjoyed a solid three days of running in pre-season testing at Sakhir, during which the Dutchman put the team's new RB16B at the top of the timesheet.

However, Verstappen is keeping his expectations in check as the 23-year-old believes Mercedes' may have been holding back and has yet to show its true pace.

"For sure the test was a positive start for us and you can always be happy when you get that number of laps in and get a good understanding of the car but it doesn't say anything about pure performance," said Verstappen ahead of this week's season-opening round.

"I know people are excited and think we are just saying this, but Mercedes are still the favourites – how can they not be when they have won seven world championships in a row?

"I'm sure Mercedes also want people to think we are the favourites and put the pressure on us, but we are just focussed on ourselves. You can be sure that everyone in this team and at Honda is pushing to beat them and anyone else who may be quick this year.

"I see every season as a new opportunity to beat them, but we would be stupid to expect that fight to be easy and look at testing and think we are ahead. I personally can't wait until we are all pushing in Q3.

"That is when you will see everyone at full power with low fuel and that is the time to see who developed performance wise, and then in the race we will see who can keep that performance over a race distance. Let's hope we can be good at both."

• Read also: Wolff admits Mercedes has a 'small diva' on its hands

Red Bull recruit Sergio Perez echoed his teammate's view, insisting that any attempt to guess the pecking order would be vain.

"Overall it’s early days, you know, so we will see," said the Mexican. "I think the more you try to figure out what other people are doing the more lost you can get, so there isn't a lot of point in reading into anything.

"We just have to wait until qualifying and see where everyone is at."

On a personal level, Perez is raring to go and excited to open a new chapter in his F1 career with Red Bull Racing.

"This is what I’ve been dreaming of, I can’t wait," he added. "I’m really, really excited to see some fans at the track, to finally get to race, I’m looking so much forward to it.

"I’m going to approach things very relaxed and just deliver to my maximum and we’ll see where we end up."

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