Horner: Bahrain will reflect the real F1 pecking order

Max Verstappen finally gave us a glimpse of what Honda had when he qualified fourth in Melbourne, then a day later he finished third, well and truly beating Ferrari in the process and with Mercedes in their sights.

In an interview with Motorsport-Total, Horner played down expectations in the wake of the unexpected result, "It's way too early to talk about the championship. But the podium was a great moment for Honda."

"The race at Albert Park is also not a yardstick for the pecking order in Formula 1 because the track has a special characteristic."

"Mercedes surprised with its pace and Ferrari disappointed. Whether this is really a trend can only be assessed after the race in Bahrain. We are proud of the performance and are satisfied with the Honda product."

"Hopefully, this is the start of a strong season. It was just one race, but it was a good start. We have to build on this positive energy."

Perhaps the only flaw in an otherwise strong start to the team's campaign was Pierre Gasly whose first race for the team was underwhelming, while the Blues did not help his cause by botching his qualifying.

As a result of the telling off he got for trashing the car on the penultimate day of testing in Barcelona, the Frenchman arrived Down Under on the back foot.

But Horner is not concerned, "It's still early days for his here. There's always pressure in Formula 1, but I think he drove a good race."

"He worked his way into the weekend and gave good feedback. We know he has the pace. We just have to give him a little time, then it'll work out," predicted Horner.