Racing at home: three words that sum up Red Bull’s F1 weekend in Spielberg. It’s a prime opportunity to give their all and go for the win. Beating the formidable McLaren won’t be easy, though. The track nestled in the Styrian hills has different characteristics than Canada, particularly due to the presence of loaded corners that will favor the MCL39.
The Max Verstappen factor
Max is the only driver on the grid capable of making a huge difference, even when his car is not on par with those ahead. He’s proven it many times, and in Austria, backed by the Milton Keynes team, that’s exactly what he will aim for again. The Dutchman has the ability to minimize the RB21’s flaws and maximize its strengths, making compromise easier.
It’s no coincidence that both Marko and Horner have repeatedly emphasized this, even if relying solely on a driver’s brilliance is always risky. Last year, things worked out. The Woking-based team wasn’t yet mature enough to manage its technical edge, and the high number of mistakes they made greatly helped Max in his battle for a fourth drivers’ title.
Things are quite different now, also because Oscar Piastri has gained ground and is showing great maturity behind the wheel. Beating him will be very tough, but Red Bull isn’t giving up. The Austrian team has decided to go all-in this season and will keep fighting to the end. That’s why several updates are expected in the coming weeks to improve the RB21’s performance.
The key balance between stiffness and traction
To understand how the multi-title-winning team is approaching this race, we first need to recall last year’s results, the initial benchmark. In the previous edition, they did very well on single-lap pace, dominating both sprint and traditional qualifying. However, over the full race distance, they were caught and challenged by the MCL60, which had rapidly closed the performance gap.
This year, the technical landscape is far more complex. The track is very short, which will compress the field even further. Every detail will therefore carry even more weight. According to gathered information, Red Bull is confident it can build a solid setup. First of all, this year’s weekend follows the standard format, giving teams more time to understand the car.
Tuning the RB21 is sometimes tricky, and the three free practice sessions will be crucial for Verstappen. From a purely technical standpoint, Red Bull has shown difficulties at circuits that are more “rear-limited.” The Austrian circuit includes a stop-and-go section where the team must find the right balance. Strong traction is needed, but reducing stiffness too much hasn’t delivered the desired outcome.
The other half of the track features several high-speed, loaded corners. Unlike Ferrari, which is still seeking the right balance to unlock performance, the home team will base their setup around this section. They will focus on optimizing the aerodynamic platform, and therefore will choose a stiffer suspension range.
RB21: setup to preserve the rear
Then there’s the matter of tires, which always needs clear prioritization. Managing tires properly is crucial, especially over race distance. The F1 team led by Horner could face challenges in managing thermal behavior of the compounds. The tarmac has a notable level of abrasiveness, even if lateral and longitudinal forces are moderate.
In traction and braking, the challenge lies in keeping temperatures under control. Red Bull has adapted better in cooler conditions, especially on tracks where surface temperature matters more than internal heat. The RB21’s setup will therefore need to account for the rear end, to protect it as much as possible and reduce the risk of overheating.
Although the Austrian car has a base balance that leans toward over-rotation, Max Verstappen has lately suffered more from understeer-related issues. In the end, although the Red Bull-owned circuit is a rear-limited track—where the team might struggle more than McLaren—there are still all the ingredients for a battle at the top.
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