P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has no doubt Max Verstappen and Red Bull remain the combination to beat this year.
Oscar Piastri believes that Max Verstappen and Red Bull will not face much challenge from their F1 rivals in the early stages of the upcoming season. The consensus in the paddock after the pre-season test in Bahrain was that Red Bull was in cruise control, even though they didn’t top the timesheets. With the new RB20 showing evident improvements, McLaren has not been able to close the gap over the winter. Piastri stated that Red Bull remains the team to beat, with an advantage comfortable enough to maintain their status as favorites. McLaren is aiming to be towards the front of the grid but does not feel ready to challenge Red Bull just yet.
