Verstappen calls Pirelli F1 tyres 'super sensitive' as Red Bull eyes final test day

Max Verstappen has described Pirelli's current Formula 1 tyres as "super sensitive" after a full day of pre-season testing, highlighting a key area of focus for Red Bull as they finalize their preparations for the season opener in Bahrain. The reigning champion completed 139 laps on Thursday and emphasized the team's goal is to maximize mileage and data collection on the final day of running.

Why it matters:

Tyre management is often the decisive factor in modern F1 races. Verstappen's candid assessment of the Pirelli rubber being "super sensitive" suggests that understanding and optimizing tyre performance will be a critical, and potentially tricky, challenge for all teams in the early races. For a team like Red Bull that is expected to set the pace, mastering this variable is essential to converting car performance into race wins.

The details:

• Productive Running: Verstappen enjoyed an "uninterrupted" and "positive" day on Thursday, completing 139 laps and allowing the team to focus on long-run performance and setup adjustments.
• Tyre Analysis Priority: The Dutchman stated that the sensitivity of the tyres means "there’s still a lot of analysis required," indicating this will be a major point of study in the data from testing.
• Final Day Plan: For Friday's final test session, Verstappen will share driving duties with junior driver Isack Hadjar. The explicit goal is to "get as many laps as we can" to gather as much data as possible before the cars are shipped to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to extracting every last bit of information from the final day of pre-season testing. With the Bahrain Grand Prix just around the corner, teams will be analyzing their data to understand the new cars and, as Verstappen highlighted, the nuanced behavior of the 2024 tyres. How quickly Red Bull and its rivals can adapt to these "super sensitive" tyres may well shape the competitive order in the opening rounds of the championship.