Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Tyre warmers in the Paddock
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Mercedes bodywork
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
George Russell, Mercedes
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Flags at the Ayrton Senna Memorial
A Roland Ratzenberger flag on the fencing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Alan Permane, RB F1 Team

Max Verstappen says it is unrealistic to expect Red Bull to close its race pace deficit with McLaren in the short term despite a range of upgrades coming to the 2025 Formula 1 car.

Verstappen finished 40 seconds behind McLaren's race winner Oscar Piastri at the most recent Miami Grand Prix, having beaten both McLarens to pole but then slumped back in the race as the Woking team's superior race pace came to the fore.

Following the introduction of a new floor on Verstappen's car, team-mate Yuki Tsunoda will also receive the latest spec in Imola, as both drivers get further upgrades at their disposal for Europe's first grand prix of the year.

When asked how much of a performance jump he is expecting from his latest version of the RB20, Verstappen said: "A little bit. But we have already had a few races with some updates, so this is again a little step forward. Hopefully we find a bit more performance in the car. But I don't expect, of course, to suddenly close the gap to McLaren."

Reflecting on a sobering Miami race, which team advisor Helmut Marko called depressing, he added: "The race pace was depressing for everyone except McLaren. No one was even in the same league there. That is, of course, a big concern."

In two weeks further upgrades are expected to arrive for Barcelona's Spanish Grand Prix, when a stricter technical directive on flexing front wings also comes into play.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Carlos Sainz, Williams, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Tyre warmers in the Paddock, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes bodywork, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber, Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Flags at the Ayrton Senna Memorial, A Roland Ratzenberger flag on the fencing, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Alan Permane, RB F1 Team

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The clampdown is intended to rein in games being played around aero elasticity, which McLaren is believed to be at the forefront of. But Motorsport.com understands the stricter load test is forcing most - if not all - teams to bring a new specification that is more robust, even those who have not been exploiting the phenomenon.

But while most observers are curious to see what will happen with McLaren's form, Verstappen doesn't think the FIA's new technical directive will change the world either.

"That will not give you eight tenths to a second, of course, [which was the gap] at times in Miami," he replied.

What is most concerning at this stage is that Red Bull and its rivals still haven't appeared to have figured out why McLaren is so easy on its rear tyres in high degradation races.