Max Verstappen will get the first taste of his 2019 Red Bull-Honda as he completes simulator tests at Milton Keynes this week.
While development on the real RB15 continues ahead of a likely shakedown and pre-season testing next February, the virtual running allows the Dutchman to gain an understanding of the Honda engine’s drivability and gain an initial feel for next year’s car.
“I am going to sit there in the simulator, it will be the first time with Honda,” Verstappen told Austria’s Servus TV.
“Everything is going very smoothly and everyone is looking forward to the first year with Honda, at the factory I feel that everyone is even more motivated than before.”
Expectations continue to be high for next year after opting to drop Renault at the end of this past season with plans still on course.
“So far, all their promises on the technical side have been kept,” Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko continued.
“If this continues, we will then have a great chance to compete for the title in the coming season.”
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One man tipping Verstappen to join Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in the championship fight is Formula 1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn.
“What we are seeing with Max is a great maturing of his approach, losing none of his speed and aggression but just being a bit more tempered in terms of how he attacks things,” he told Formula1.com. “2018 was another big step forward for Max.
“In the right car and right team, he’s world champion material for sure and Max will be the known reference in the [Red Bull] team in 2019.
“That is always helpful in a team to have that continuity, if you have a troublesome car or you have some things to sort out, knowing the driver, knowing how to qualify what he says is very helpful. So I think it is great for the team.”