Red Bull’s Max Verstappen says he is bracing himself for “painful” loses on the straights compared to Formula 1 rivals Mercedes and Ferrari at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.  Following a strong pre-season test programme at Barcelona, Red Bull appears to have made encouraging gains with its chassis and has been tipped by Lewis Hamilton to emerge as Mercedes’ main challenger in 2018. But Verstappen, who claimed two race wins last season in Malaysia and Mexico, remains wary about Red Bull’s potential - given that engine supplier Renault is yet to close the performance gap to Mercedes and Ferrari.  “We have to wait and see,” he replied when made aware of Hamilton’s...
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