Max Verstappen recently explained why he chose to test with the old Red Bull car from 2022 at Imola. Prior to the race weekend in Austria, Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur expressed doubts about Verstappen’s test day. However, Verstappen received unexpected support for his decision to get back into the RB18.
Max Verstappen was recently spotted at Imola in his old Red Bull car, the RB18, for a test day. According to the Formula 1 TPC program, which stands for Testing of Previous Cars, drivers are allowed to test cars that are more than two years old. These days are typically also used for testing young talent. For instance, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was recently seen in the W13 of Mercedes, but this time Verstappen took the wheel of the old Red Bull.
Ferrari team boss Vasseur questioned this test day by Verstappen. The Frenchman would like a distinction to be made between test days for rookies and experienced drivers. Therefore, Verstappen was asked about his test at Imola in the press conference prior to the Austrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman explained that his test day was mainly about “refreshing my memory” of how the previous Red Bull cars drove.
“We had the test with the 2022 car, which is of course allowed this year,” Verstappen explained. “I just wanted to get my references back, as it’s been a while since I drove that car. I haven’t driven it since 2022. It’s also a nice circuit, Imola. We had a good day.”
Leclerc Supports Verstappen
Verstappen received support from an unexpected corner, namely Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, for conducting the tests at Imola. The Monegasque revealed that Ferrari conducted similar tests with their 2022 car in 2024. “Especially at the beginning of the season, I think it offers good opportunities to compare with a new car, which is always useful,” Leclerc said. “Also to get back into the rhythm as a driver for the real tests. So yes, we did [conduct tests with the F1-75].”
