Red Bull driver Max Verstappen believes that the media made the RB16 sound like a worse car to drive than it was.
During another season where Red Bull fell short of their aim to challenge for the world title, it was often claimed that they produced a car that was tougher to drive than many others on the grid.
However, Verstappen hit back at the suggestion stating that the talk was “overdone” in the media and that it was definitely the second fastest car on the grid.
“I think that’s made bigger in the media,” he told Autosport. “We had the second fastest car. I think there are a lot worse cars to drive out there.
“We had a few spins in pre-season and stuff, and when you drive on the limit, the car’s not easy to drive, you know what I mean? Maybe ours is a bit more difficult compared to Mercedes, but it’s probably nicer than Williams.
“So I think it’s a bit overdone what people said in the media. I never really felt like that.”
Reflecting on his own performance inside the cockpit, Verstappen said he had more consistent but sometimes felt powerless when fighting with the faster Mercedes cars.
“I think again, better than [2019], just a bit more consistent,” he said. “But, yeah, I’ve been quite a few races on my own… I just like to follow Mercedes! The car wasn’t bad but we were still lacking a bit to Mercedes.”
“Not frustrated just a bit powerless sometimes. But I still try to get the best result out of it, which I think we have done most of the time. So I guess that’s good.”