Max Verstappen explains private TPC test after Ferrari’s ‘clear development’ theory

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen has explained the testing of a previous car [TPC] day he had with an RB18 at Imola recently, putting the 2022 car through its paces.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believed the day was “clear development” from Red Bull’s perspective, to give Verstappen a reference point of what he preferred about the 2022 car compared to his current challenger about what to work on – and the three-time World Champion has explained all.

Max Verstappen explains Red Bull RB18 test at Imola

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper

The current RB20 still tops both World Championship standings, but rivals such as McLaren are closing in on Red Bull’s dominance as Verstappen has said the team have had “messy” weekends of late.

With that, the team opted to take their two-year-old car for a day of running around Imola – completely allowed within the regulations – with Verstappen behind the wheel.

Vasseur made it clear he was not complaining about the private test and had no issue with it given the nature of these being allowed to take place within the rules, though stated his belief Red Bull’s goals were to improve in the here and now.

He told media including PlanetF1.com in Spain:  “It’s clearly development and what you could do with the young drivers that this permits another approach, it’s giving them the opportunity to sometimes to do mileage for the simulator and so to develop them – it’s another approach.

“I think, if we have to police it, we will have to split the two aspects – the day we are doing with our drivers and the days that we are doing with the non-racing drivers.”

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Red Bull’s Paul Monaghan explained the team had looked to give Verstappen a different “reference” with a previous car to drive, and the Dutchman agreed that the day behind the wheel came about in the hope of “refreshing my mind” with previous machinery.

With the ground effect era having started in 2022, TPC days will take on increased relevance, with previous cars now featuring in the same regulation cycle as the current cars – with the ages of the cars in testing having to be a minimum of two years old.

“We had the test with the ‘22 car, which is allowed of course now this year, and I just wanted to get my references back because it’s been a while driving that car, not driven again since ‘22,” Verstappen told media including PlanetF1.com at the Red Bull Ring.

“So yeah, it’s a fun track as well of course, Imola. We had a good day.

“It was nice and warm also, and just refreshing my mind of how that car was driving compared to this one.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, sat alongside Verstappen in the pre-race press conference, explained that Ferrari have also done the same thing this year, with the Scuderia having run their 2022 car in the run-up to pre-season testing.

“Yes, we did,” he responded when asked if Ferrari had used their 2022 car this season.

“Especially at the beginning of the season, I think it has good scope over, obviously, to try and compare with a new car, which is always helpful, but also as a driver get back into the rhythm before the actual testing. So we’ve been doing that, yes.”