Verstappen and Lawson enjoy first outing in RB21 in Bahrain

Red Bull Racing fired up at the Bahrain International Circuit on Tuesday, as reigning world champion Max Verstappen and new teammate Liam Lawson, put the new RB21 through its paces during a filming day.

The Milton Keyne’s based outfit revealed the first images of its 2025 contender on Tuesday morning, but the low-light pictures offered little insight into the car’s characteristics.

The new machine emerged from the shadows in Bahrain in the afternoon when Verstappen and Lawson indulge in a shakedown of their new mount.

Max was first behind the wheel, hitting the track for his opening runs of 2025, on a breezy morning, with Lawson taking over shortly later for his first taste of the Rb21.

Overall, the two drivers completed 198.6 km between them.

Verstappen: Nice to be Back

“It is really nice to be back driving again and to get into RB21 for the first time,” commented Verstappen.

“I got a few laps in but today was more about getting comfortable in the car, seeing what fits and we will then learn more about the car over the next few days.

“We know what last year’s limitations were, so it is important that we assess the pace over the next few days and see if we have improved.

“We don’t have a long time before the first race so, over Testing, we hope to get a lot of mileage on the car and lots of runs in to understand where we can find time.

“At the moment I don’t have targets for the season as we don’t know how competitive we are, but I am looking forward to getting back to racing in general, especially driving in Spa and Zandvoort, which are my favourite tracks on the calendar.”

Lawson: First Impressions Are Good

“First impressions are good, it is always exciting to get in the car for the first time,” said Lawson.

“For me, I have never started a full season in Formula One, so the preparations and days like this Filming Day are good for me.

“We are also learning about a new car as well and so far the RB21 feels good; the next few days of Testing will be beneficial. I am most looking forward to just going racing, to have a full pre-season with a Team and learn along the way.

“My target, simply, is to be fast and to be where the Team needs me to be. The goal is to regain the Constructors’ this year and if we can achieve that then it means I am doing my part.

“Collectively all of our goals are the same and that is to be as far up the front as we can.”

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