The days change, the Grand Prix pass by but the common name is always the same, that is, the name of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman with Red Bull, as reigning champion, continues to be a great protagonist and also in Austria, home event for his team, the three-time world champion put the first seal of the weekend by conquering the pole position in the Sprint Qualifying.
A week after Barcelona, the challenge that has characterized these last stages of the world championship is also repeated, namely that between Verstappen and Lando Norris, with a McLaren that, even at the Red Bull Ring, seems in good shape and ready to play for an important result. It is not only the names of the protagonists that are repeated, but also the gaps, because even in Austria the gap is under a tenth, with 93 thousandths separating the two drivers on the front row.
A pole which, at least for one day, brings Red Bull back to being a point of reference with the two great strengths of the RB20: the effectiveness of the DRS and the stability of the single-seater at high speeds, where a stable car can really make the difference. Elements that had also been seen seven days ago on Catalan soil, but a greater presence of medium-low speed corners, where a lot of work needs to be done on the front, an aspect on which McLaren seems to have made a big step forward in recent months, had put the car from Milton Keynes was in difficulty, overshadowing other positive elements on the flying lap.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
A discussion that goes beyond the seventh place obtained by Sergio Perez, over a second behind his teammate, because on a strategic level something didn’t work with the Mexican, who crossed the finish line just three seconds from the checkered flag, having to carry out the own attempt glued in the wake of Esteban Ocon.
On the contrary, the timing in Verstappen’s case was perfect, because the three-time world champion found a perfect space in which to fit in and best prepare the tires to hunt for pole position. A point not to be underestimated, because the softest compound in the range, also in this case the C5, proved to be very sensitive to overheating and preparation methods.
Taking a look at the data, it becomes easier to understand not only the strengths of the RB20, but also why the single-seater from Milton Keynes, especially in the hands of the Dutchman, has managed to be the reference until now. Red Bull is not only the fastest with open DRS, one of its characteristic elements with which it has been able to make a difference in the last three years, but it is also the car that develops the most grip in the second part of the lap, the one made up of curves medium and high speed where the aerodynamic and mechanical set-up, as well as the management of the tyres, represent fundamental aspects.
A theme that is highlighted already from the first straight, the one that leads to the opening braking section of the lap, where Verstappen arrives with a good 5 km/h more speed. What differs is not only the maximums at the end of the sprints, but also the way in which the two drivers approach certain sections of the circuit: focusing attention for example on turn one, you can see how the Dutchman is much more aggressive in the insertion phase with a delayed braking, while Norris prefers gentler braking to give more emphasis to the exit and the subsequent traction phase. For this reason, in the telemetry graph you can see a much steeper curve in terms of deceleration for Verstappen, while for the Briton you can appreciate the effectiveness in reaching by taking advantage of greater readiness in traction.
![Telemetry comparison between Norris and Verstappen - Sprint Qualifying Austria](https://cdn.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YP3GqAQ2/s1000/confronto-telemetrico-tra-norr.jpg)
Telemetry comparison between Norris and Verstappen – Sprint Qualifying Austria
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
However, this strong point of the McLaren is partially counteracted by the efficiency of the Red Bull DRS, which can be activated on all three stretches leading from the finish line to the braking section of Turn 4. An aspect which has allowed, despite suffering something at the exit, to reach the end of each straight with an average advantage of 4 km/h. This proved to be an important tool for the Milton Keynes team, especially above 300 km/h, because it made it possible to largely compensate for what was generally lost when exiting medium-slow corners.
If the first half of the session gave insights especially regarding the performance of the two cars on the long stretches, the rest of the lap provides some more indications on the performance in corners, particularly in the faster ones.
Turn six is the only one where Norris has a real and concrete advantage, of a good 7 km/h during the transition phase. However, even in this case we notice two different approaches: while Verstappen is very aggressive on the entry, the British driver prefers the minimum speed in the middle of the corner, even though in reality he made a small mistake on the exit, going very wide on the kerb, an aspect that then forced him to move back towards the center of the track. This may have also partly influenced the entry into turn seven, not exactly clean, while Verstappen, by guessing the exit point from the previous section, was able to find the best line for the fast chicane.
It is no coincidence that, thanks also to the quality of the RB20, extremely stable and with a rigid set-up to make the aerodynamics work at their best, Verstappen manages to be much more incisive when taking turns 7/8, bringing not only 3 km/h more minimum speed, but also greater effectiveness right at the entrance.
![Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38](https://cdn.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YW7nNbBY/s1000/lando-norris-mclaren-mcl38-2nd.jpg)
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“The car was well balanced. We only had to make a few adjustments for qualifying,” commented the three-time world champion at the end of qualifying, with a different mood compared to the first day of testing in Imola or Barcelona.
An element that is clearly repeated also in turn 9, one of the most difficult on the Austrian track, where once again it is important to have great stability in the middle of the curve, which then also translates into a higher exit speed, gaining several hundredths. This particular aspect has made the fortune of Red Bull, not only with the RB20, in various events of the world championship and, also on the Zeltweg track it is proving to be a vital argument for the performance of the Milton Keynes car, at least in the first response on Friday on the flying lap.
This, of course, does not mean that McLaren is far away: the MCL38 is confirming that it can compete for the top positions with great continuity, but the effectiveness with the DRS open, as well as the stability in those very fast corners where a lot of support is needed, are areas in which the engineers from Woking already knew they had to work even before arriving in Spain or Austria. One of the two elements will be missing in the race, opening up new scenarios. For Verstappen, if he stays in the lead, it will therefore be essential to exploit the effect of the dirty air in the second half of the lap, trying to create that advantage useful for trying to manage and repel the attacks coming from the drivers behind him.
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