Verstappen and His Performance in Austria: “Very Positive for Us”

Max Verstappen achieved his best result of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver fought back from fifth position to second place, just 1.6 seconds behind winner George Russell (Mercedes), and celebrated a weekend he described as "very positive" for the Austrian team: "I think it was a very good race for us, the first laps were quite fun and then I tried to manage the tires. Honestly, I think the car was in a good window during the first half of the race" declared Verstappen.

The four time world champion staged a spectacular comeback in the early laps, on lap 2 he overtook Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in a single move at turn 4, and then overtook Lewis Hamilton on lap 22 after the first round of pit stops. His pace allowed him to get close to Russell, but the decision to extend his final stint left him with too much work to do in the final stages of the race.

"Then we had some issues with the car that prevented me from finding that good rhythm. But still, being second and close to victory is extremely positive for us. In that sense, I'm very happy. The upgrades definitely worked this weekend, it showed. I think from eighth position it was almost the best we could do" explained Verstappen, who could not overtake Russell in the final laps.

Red Bull arrived in Spielberg with an upgrade package that seemed to make the RB22 competitive against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Isack Hadjar, Verstappen's teammate, also had a productive Sunday by finishing sixth, overtaking Leclerc and Lando Norris (McLaren) from his original starting position: "The upgrades definitely worked this weekend, it showed. I think from eighth position it was almost the best we could do" said the Frenchman.

The Austrian result is a boost for Red Bull, which had a complicated start to the season with an RB22 that was not up to its rivals. Verstappen's second place and Hadjar's sixth place prove that the team is heading in the right direction and that the upgrades introduced at the Red Bull Ring have worked.

Verstappen trusts that the team can continue to progress in the upcoming races and fight for wins more regularly. The Dutchman has shown that, with a competitive car, he can fight with the Mercedes and Ferraris and the Austrian result is proof of that: "We are happy with the progress and we hope to keep improving," concluded Verstappen.