P1racenews AI automatic summary:
There is a difference in opinion between the Red Bull driver and Mercedes one over the true pace of the RB20 ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and George Russell have differing opinions on the true pace of the Red Bull RB20 before the Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen was initially expected to have a significant advantage over the competition in the new car, with other teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin closely behind, but with a narrower gap from 2023. Despite Verstappen securing pole position in qualifying, Russell believes the RB20 will be around half-a-second faster per lap in the race. Verstappen, however, doubts this race advantage. Russell mentioned that the gap in qualifying was closer than anticipated, with Verstappen interrupting to express surprise at the suggested half-a-second difference. Verstappen emphasized that the gap was actually larger, advocating for under-promising and over-delivering.
