Max Verstappen has expressed his eagerness to see how Red Bull’s upgrades perform at its home event in Austria this weekend.
The RB22 has struggled to consistently fight at the front of the field during the opening phase of the campaign, securing just one podium from the first seven grands prix.
Red Bull will introduce an upgrade package at the Spielberg circuit this weekend, with the main focus on reducing the car’s weight.
Verstappen has not won at the Red Bull Ring since 2023, but he still holds the record for the most Austrian Grand Prix victories, with four.
The Dutchman highlighted that the unique layout of the high-speed circuit places even greater importance on achieving the right balance with the car.
“Austria is of course a home grand prix for the team,” he said.
“It’s been a great track for me in the past and we have had really good memories there. It’s a very interesting track and all of the corners are quite different, so it’s really important to get a good balance out of the car.
“You need both the high speed and low speed performance, good traction and now, with how energy sensitive some tracks are, it is important to work to get on top of this.”
Having been forced to watch rivals Mercedes and Ferrari take to the top step of the podium so far this year, Red Bull will be hoping to get involved in the fight.
Voicing his anticipation over the new upgrade, Verstappen said: “We have a new package we are bringing, so it is exciting to see how much this could look to give us in lap time.
“I will also be wearing my Orange Lion helmet for Austria, Belgium and Hungary as a tribute to the fans who have supported me throughout my career.
“So this is exciting and we are looking forward to see what we can do at the Red Bull Ring."
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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