Max Verstappen’s build up to the Spanish Grand Prix involved a detour this week as he conducted a private test in a 2022 Formula 1 car at Imola.
After completing some promotional work in France on Tuesday, he travelled south that evening to Imola for some running on Wednesday in an RB18, before jetting across to Barcelona for Thursday’s media day.
While teams regularly host 2022 car tests, these are often done either for young drivers to get up to speed (like Mercedes is doing for Andrea Kimi Antonelli) or for filming days.
Imola was a different story though, as it has since emerged that this test was a sign of the determination that Red Bull has to solve the kerb riding problem that has held it back in recent races.
Characteristics of the RB20, which doesn’t like running soft because this upsets its aero platform, have left it exposed at tracks like Imola, Monaco and even Montreal where being quick requires a lot of bouncing over kerbs.
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