Max Verstappen sa🎀ys Red Bull’s 2020 Formula 1 car is “definitely an imp༒rovement” but needs to be strong over both one lap and race distances.

Verstappen and Red Bull are hoping to mount a title challenge to reigning champions Mercedes𝐆 and Lewis Hamilton in 2020 with its RB16 challenger, and has enjoyed a strong st🍷art winter test programme so far.

The Dutchman ended the opening day of the second pre-season test at Barcelona second in the timesheets but brought ♓out a late red flag when he stopped on track with just minutes left on the clock.

“This year the ꦦcar 🌞is definitely an improvement, and it also has to be if you want to fight for the championship,” Verstappen said.

“It needs to be both [good in race and qu🌟alifying]. Even last year sometimes we had💞 a decent race car, sometimes qualifying was okay but I think overall we need to step up, and we are working on that.

“You do push it with whatever on the car, which feels all right for the moment,” he add🐻ed.

“But it is difficult to say anything about it because y༒ou don’t know if it is going to be quick enough, and at the end of the day you don’t look at 🃏it yet, because it is just testing and a different track to where the first race is.

"So what is the most important is that you just t𝓰ry a lot of things, and you know what the car is reacting to, and when you go to Melbourne you know a little bit if you have oversteer or understeer what direction you have to go into.

“We just focus on oursel꧙ves, and then will find out in Melbourne where we ar🎃e.”

Asked how close he feels Red Bull are to having a car he wants for Melbourne, Verstappen replied: “I have no clue, I hope not far but at the moment it is difficult to say because it is a completely different t🍰rack as well.

“So whatever wor♌🔯ks here it is not a guarantee that it is going to work in Melbourne.

“It is all about driving a lot of laps and trying some things on the car so you know w🦄hat direction you have to go into.”

Verstappen also downplayed his bizarre late stoppage at the end of the afternoon session after✨ he spun for the second time on Wednesday at Turn 10

“It was not planned, that is for sure,” ꦜhe explained.

🌸"But I don’t know whatღ happened yet. The car will come back and will look at it.”