Max Verstappen says Red Bull’s 2020 Formula 1 car is “definitely an improvement” but needs to 🌃be strong ove🍸r both one lap and race distances.

Verstappen and Red Bull are hoping to mount a title challenge to reigning champions Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton in 2020 with its RB16 challenger, and has enjoyed 🅺a strong start 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 car is definitely an improvement, and i𒉰t also has to be if you want to fight for the championship,” Verstappen said.

“It n🌺eeds to be both [good in race and quaꩵlifying]. 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 mom𝔍ent,” he added.

“But it is difficult to say anything about it because you do🔯n’t know if it is going to be quick enough, and at the end of the day you don’t look at it yet, bec🎶ause it is just testing and a different track to where the first race is.

"So what is the most important is that you just try 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 ourselves, and then will find out in Melbou෴rne whe🎃re we are.”

Asked how close he feels Red Bull are to having a car he wa🐓nts 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 track as well.

“So whatever works here it🦹 is not a guarantee that it is g﷽oing to work in Melbourne.

“It is all about driving a lot of laps and trying some things on the car so you know what directio𓂃n you hav🐼e to go into.”

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

“It was🎶 no𝓰t planned, that is for sure,” he explained.

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