Max at Red Bull Ring: 'Happy to have upgrades'

Published on 26 June 2025 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing are back on home soil for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman has won the race at the Red Bull Ring five times in his Formula 1 career and is hoping for a competitive outing as he addressed the media in the paddock on Thursday afternoon.

“There are no guarantees, but we always do our best. We’ve had some great races here, including some unexpected wins. We’re not the favourites going into this weekend, but we’ll make the most of it. It’s going to be warm, so it will be difficult to keep the tyres alive. I’m looking forward to it and hope to get on the podium.”

Max added: “I’ve always felt good here. There are always circuits that suit you a bit better than others. The Red Bull Ring is one of them. Maybe it’s the flow of the track in sectors two and three as well as the fast corners. The gap in qualifying last year was surprising; we did really well in quali, especially preparing the tyres. That’s not always easy on a short track.”

For their home race, Red Bull Racing are introducing upgrades for the RB21. “Hopefully it improves the car. The team has worked hard to get these parts ready and I’m really happy we have an upgrade here. Every little step forward will help us be more competitive and hopefully close the gap. At the same time other teams will be doing the same, so we have to keep working hard.

In between the Canadian and Austrian rounds of the F1 championship, Max drove a Verstappen.com Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo at Spa-Francorchamps. Thierry Vermeulen, Chris Lulham and Harry King will drive the same car in this weekend’s 24 hours of Spa as part of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. “I wanted to gain experience in the Aston Martin GT3 to see what is possible in terms of set-up and development. I really enjoyed it. Driving Spa in a GT3 car completely different than driving a Formula 1 car, but regardless of the car, Spa is amazing.”

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