Concerns at Honda: 'The Mercedes is still very fast'

Red Bull Racing had a good start at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday. Max Verstappen set the first and third fastest times respectively, giving him confidence heading into the all-important qualifying session. However, Toyoharu Tanabe expressed his concerns in an interview with AS-Web.

Although Tanabe was left with a satisfied feeling from what Verstappen showed, he expects a difficult weekend. "The Mercedes is still very fast, but I think all four cars did well on Friday," he states. "We have to see how far we can go on Saturday, when the cars are faster, but as far as the first day is concerned the plans with the engine worked out well. We still have a lot of work to do though."

Compliments for the circuit in Qatar

Verstappen stressed on Friday night in front of the Ziggo Sport camera that he enjoyed the new circuit in Qatar. Tanabe also looked at the challenges on the track with a satisfied feeling. He compared it to Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

"The similarity is the flatness of the track. The whole track, including the pit lane, is full of sand. The difference is in the track layout. Some drivers like the combination of different corners, others find it difficult. I think it's one of the most challenging circuits."