Fraser MasefieldMax Verstappen is playing down his own chances of becoming a five-time Formula One World Champion, despite some opinions to the contrary.
Following the opening three days of testing at Bahrain, the consensus is that three teams are in the running. Red Bull Racing, Mercedes and McLaren. With Ferrari close behind.
“It’s been quite positive with the mileage done this week. We need to make sure the car continues to develop a lot more to improve the issue on the balance side, and we know that there is a lot of room for improvement,” said Verstappen.
In the official Red Bull Racing press release, Verstappen also singled out the performance of the PU for praise.
“In general, Red Bull Ford Powertrains has done a remarkable job as a start-up; in three and a half years we have created a power unit and have it out running on track, which is fantastic.
“The second step is to see where we are sitting compared to others and improve.
“There were a few teams which were clearly very quick, and it looks like we are behind, so there is still a lot to improve. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are there at the top.
Debriefing an important week in Sakhir 👊#F1 || #F1Testing 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/RdKieuM7an
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 13, 2026
“It is a massive learning curve; there are plenty of unknowns and a lot to do. We have been evaluating our weaknesses and strengths and are just focusing on improving the car.
“We go into next week looking at what we can bring to the car to make it better and solve the issues we have identified.”
But you know what Formula One fans know? Lies, damned lies and statistics. You can never, ever read too much into pre-season testing times. You just can’t.
Here’s the thing. And it’s a real thing. There’s an expression known in F1 terms as ‘sandbagging’.
That’s exactly how it reads. Putting excess ‘sand’, which of course means fuel, into the tanks during testing runs. Make the car heavier and thus slower on the time charts.
It’s done to dupe the opposition into thinking they are slower than they actually are.
Week one in Bahrain ✅ One more to come 🔜#F1Testing || #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/nPVn9i9TbB
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 14, 2026
Sometimes the reverse is done just for ‘sponsor runs.’ Get quick lap times on the board and get interest.
Get coverage. You may not have the fastest car on race day but hey look guys – your logos are on prime TV!
At the end of the day, it matters little when the lights finally go out in Melbourne. All of the pre-season skullduggery has already been done.
Us fans? We would always like to assume that, at the end of the day, man triumphs over machine.
And that is another factor that could well play into the hands of the great Verstappen in 2026.
Craig Scarborough