Max Verstappen’s Orange Army now flocks to Spielberg with a sense of expectation. Every Austrian Grand Prix weekend for the past few years has delivered gratification in some form: he won both races in 2021, finished second in 2022, led from pole to victory in 2023, and won the sprint race last season, even if the GP itself came with a sting in the tail.
His last departure with a whimper came in the 2020 Covid season-opener when an electrical failure caused him to retire, a crushing blow that also sent a signal to the Red Bull hierarchy that the championship was a more distant prospect than they might have expected.
