I don’t expect miracles, but I think it’s OK,” said Verstappen when asked about the RB21’s race pace after qualifying. “Not on the same level [as Norris and Piastri], but I’ll just do my best and see what happens tomorrow.

Max Verstappen has won two of the last four Formula One races after failing to win any of the previous 10, but he did not believe he could have beaten the McLarens even with a perfect lap in qualifyin

Verstappen’s teammate last year, Sergio Pérez, has been replaced by Liam Lawson this season, with the New Zealand driver set to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025. In the drizzly conditions in Bahrain, Lawson said he was fighting “a few teething gremlins” with his car as he sought to adjust to life alongside Verstappen.