Max tries the RB16B: 'The first time out of the pits is such a great feeling'

Published on 24 February 2021 by Niels Hendrix

Red Bull Racing’s RB16B hit the track for the first time today as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez got behind the wheel of Red Bull’s 2021 charger at an official filming day at Silverstone.

Max and Red Bull’s official test and reserve driver Alex Albon also drove the RB15 as the team gathered promotional footage ahead of the season start in Bahrain next month. On a cold, blustery day, Sergio was given the honour of steering the RB16B onto Silverstone’s National Circuit for its first laps and after a series of trouble-free runs the Mexican driver admitted it had been an emotional moment.

After driving the RB15 in the morning, Max jumped into the RB16B in the afternoon and was pleased to get an initial feeling for the new car.

Max: “I started with the RB15 to just get a few laps in after the winter break and then I jumped into the RB16B. Days like today are all about getting comfortable with the car and with the new power unit, trying to make things run smoothly and trying to be well prepared before we go testing in Bahrain. It’s always good to be back driving a Formula 1 car and the first time you go out of the pits is such a great feeling.”

Team principal, Christian Horner, added: “It’s always great to see a new car hit the track for the first time and to see the drivers get their first laps in. Today is for filming but allows us to make sure all the basics are functioning well before it all gets packed up and sent out to Bahrain and in that regard today was a success. It was good also to have Alex here driving the RB15 along with Max. It’s important for Alex to stay sharp as he’s going to play a crucial role in the development of RB16B.”

Check out our photo album for more photos from the Red Bull Racing film day!