Max Verstappen in Spielberg on the verge of a personal Formula 1 best

Formula 1 is returning to Spielberg! Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen is really looking forward to it. The Dutchman said: “Austria is, of course, a home Grand Prix for the team. The circuit has always suited me well in the past, and we have some really good memories there.” From 2020 to 2024, he secured pole position every time. With five consecutive pole positions, that’s a record for him at a single circuit. At the Red Bull Ring, he has also led for 338 laps in a single race – more than on any other Formula 1 circuit.

He is likely to easily surpass a personal best this weekend if the race goes smoothly: if Verstappen scores even a single point in Austria this year, he will break the 3,500 World Championship points barrier at Red Bull Racing’s home Grand Prix. Verstappen currently stands on 3,499.5 points (so 10th place would suffice). This makes him the Formula 1 driver with the second-highest points tally in history. The record is held by Lewis Hamilton, who currently has 5,133.5 points.

Verstappen on the Red Bull Ring

Verstappen says of the Red Bull Ring: “It’s a very interesting circuit, and all the corners are quite different, so it’s really important to find a good balance in the car. You need performance at both high and low speeds, good traction, and given that some sections of the circuit are very energy-intensive, it’s important to work on getting that under control.”

Red Bull Racing brings an upgrade

As his team principal Laurent Mekies had already hinted after the race in Barcelona, Red Bull Racing is bringing an upgrade package to Spielberg. Verstappen: “We’re bringing a new package with us, so it’ll be exciting to see how much that could improve our lap times.”

Verstappens ‹Orange Lion›-Helm

Foto: Red Bull Racing

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To mark Red Bull Racing’s home race, Verstappen has something special planned: “I’ll be wearing my ‘Orange Lion’ helmet in Austria, Belgium and Hungary as a tribute to the fans who have supported me throughout my career.” Spielberg is his team’s home race, whilst Belgium is his second home Grand Prix alongside Zandvoort – his mum is Belgian and Verstappen was born there. Hungary is a popular destination for the ‘Orange Army’, the die-hard Verstappen fans. Verstappen: “So it’s exciting, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve at the Red Bull Ring.”