Racing Bulls says it has consciously made its car relatively easy to drive, and adds that not only rookies but also “a top driver” would benefit from it. So why hasn’t Red Bull put Max Verstappen in that car for a filming day?

Two years ago, Red Bull opted to completely refresh its second team, then known as AlphaTauri. It had been a lacklustre rebranding of its Toro Rosso team, an identity which had stood out for over 15 years as the inescapable Italian relative of the Red Bull Racing squad.