Max Verstappen spoke at a press conference on Thursday regarding the update package Red Bull brought to Spielberg for the Austrian GP. The four-time world champion emphasized that the improvements made to the RB22 since the start of the season were easier than the steps still necessary to truly fight for victory.
Weight and aerodynamic issues persist.
Red Bull took its first serious step with the Miami update after a challenging start to the season. The RB22, which was 12 kg over the homologation limit, had its excess weight halved in Florida, and the aerodynamic package, including the sidepods, underwent radical changes. Technical director Pierre Wache confirmed to Motorsport.com at the time that a second step would come in Austria. Team principal Laurent Mekies stated that they aimed to reduce the gap, which currently hovers between three and a half and four tenths of a second per lap, to one tenth of a second with this package; however, he also acknowledged that the Austrian package alone would not be enough to fight for victory.
Verstappen summarized the situation in response to a question from Motorsport.com: “When you’re behind, the first few steps are obviously easier. The hardest step is always the last one, the one you really need to take to be able to fight for victory. Let’s see how we can achieve that. I’m not sure for this weekend; but the team is always giving 100% and working tirelessly to make the car faster.”
The Barcelona lesson: Not a single weakness, but a general deficiency.
Before Austria, Red Bull also spoke about the lessons learned from their Barcelona performance. The RB22, which has been reasonably competitive on circuits dominated by low-speed corners like Miami, Montreal, and Monaco, was tested on the high-speed corners of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. However, the result revealed a more complex picture than the one-dimensional one expected. According to Verstappen, the problem isn't just about high-speed corners, but about overall balance: “We were worried about high speed; but I think it’s a matter of overall balance. We know the car is heavy; but we also need to find more load, more grip, and better curb handling. These are all elements that can make a difference.”
Verstappen deflected a question about the impact of the Austrian package on his own future with a team-focused answer: “The importance of this package is that it’s crucial for the whole team to get from where we started the season to where we want to finish. We know we have performance shortcomings; it’s just about trying to improve the car. I think that’s what everyone wants.” When asked if he would reassess his position if Red Bull remained the fourth fastest team going into the summer break, he didn’t give a clear answer: “We’ll see. It’s difficult to answer that right now. We don’t like being the fourth best team, we want to be better; that’s what we’re working on right now.”