Max conquers Schlossberg in Graz: 'One of the most challenging show runs'

Published on 26 June 2019 by Niels Hendrix

The Red Bull Ring is undoubtedly one of Formula One’s most picturesque circuits, so Aston Martin Red Bull Racing decided to kick up a little dust by firing up an RB7 and blasting it through the streets of the nearest city, Graz. In picture-perfect weather Max Verstappen tore up the hilly and historic cobbled streets of the city’s most famous landmark – the fortified Schloßberg hill that towers over the centre of the city.

While the ride height might have been set for high-altitude to cope with the bumpy cobbles, the Flying Dutchman wasted no time in demonstrating the full power and ear-splitting glory of the RB7’s V8 engine as he blasted up the tree-clad hill. Afterwards, Max admitted that while the run had been one of the trickiest he’d done, making it to the top of the iconic hill had been a huge thrill.

“This has never been done before and driving an F1 car up the side of a mountain is actually pretty cool”, Max smiled. “It was a short run but a lot of fun. Apart from driving in the snow in Kitzbühel, I would say this is one of the most challenging show runs I’ve done. Driving up a mountain road is very bumpy and the car touches the ground a lot, so you have to be really careful, but it all worked out well. After winning last year’s race here I think the sport has become even bigger in Austria. It’s great to see so many passionate fans here today, and hopefully we can give them a good weekend at the Red Bull Ring.”  Austrian GP contest: win a 1:43 scale model of Max' victory in Austria 2018!