Spielberg(AFP)
Dutchman Max Verstappen, the world champion in the past two years, is seeking to own the record for the largest number of victories in the Austrian Grand Prix in the home of his Red Bull team, in the ninth round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Verstappen, the 25-year-old, leads the drivers’ standings, 69 points ahead of fellow Mexican Sergio Pires, and shares the record for the number of victories in Austria with 4-time world champion Alain Prost (3 each), knowing that the latter won the title in 1983, 1985 and 1986.
And if he succeeds in winning the Red Bull Ring, “Mad Max” will raise the number of his wins to four and to seven in the first nine races this year, while Red Bull will increase his tally of victories among the manufacturers to 101, with the return of the barn to Austria for the first time since Its owner, Dietrich Matesic, passed away last October.
The numbers indicate that Verstappen wrote his name in the records of winners in the city of Spielberg four times, as he won twice in 2021 when two races were organized that year due to the restrictions imposed by the Corona virus, and one of them bore the name of the Styrian Grand Prix, knowing that the Dutchman was in the center. The first also in 2018 and 2019.
“It’s going to be a little special this time,” said British team principal Christian Horner, as Red Bull celebrated its 100th victory in its history during the Canadian Grand Prix.
He continued, “It is wonderful to return to Austria at this level and results, and with Max in such an exceptional form.”
He added, “There will be a wide audience and a wonderful atmosphere. They always put on a great show in the stands, and this year will be the biggest ever.”
In the same race, Verstappen said: “We always enjoy returning to Austria to race on our land.”
And he added, “I am excited to try to add another trophy to the team’s collection. The short race (Sprint) will be held for the second time this year at the weekend, and there is always more activity and complexity.
Rain is expected for most of the weekend, especially Friday and Saturday, but without that being a concern for the Dutch driver, who won last year’s sprint race on Saturday, before Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc of Monaco rose up and took first place in Sunday’s race.
It was the last win for the Italian barn, and after a new disappointment in Montreal this year, the “wild horse” team hopes to respond appropriately and at least fight Aston Martin and Mercedes for a place on the podium.
Since Ferrari’s last victory with Leclerc, who finally made clear his dissatisfaction with the level and decisions of the Italian barn, Red Bull has dominated first place by winning 18 of 19 Grand Prix, while Mercedes breached the wall of the Austrian barn with Britain’s George Russell at the Brazilian Sao Paulo circuit. This series saw Verstappen win 15 races, compared to 3 for Pires.
For his part, Briton Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion, hopes to build on the improvement of his Mercedes team’s results and the modifications he made to the “Silver Arrow” car in order to maintain his momentum, while Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso (41 years), twice world champion, seeks To climb to the podium for the seventh time this year with Aston Martin.
“I hope at some point the competition will be more intense between us,” Hamilton said after finishing third behind Verstappen and Alonso in Canada.
He continued, “For the three of us to be in a very tense battle would be wonderful.”
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