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Max Verstappen believes Mercedes' upcoming upgrade package will make his team's task even tougher for the remainder of the season, even as team principal Laurent Mekies draws confidence from their strong race pace in Baku.
Speaking to Dutch media on Friday in Azerbaijan, the four-time world champion openly admitted that the street circuit on the Caspian Sea offered Red Bull their best opportunity to secure a victory this campaign, but the team failed to capitalize fully.
Nevertheless, Verstappen came agonizingly close to taking victory. While he acknowledged that the slender 0.196-second deficit at the chequered flag was aided in part by Valtteri Bottas' crash and George Russell's power unit issues, Red Bull's pace was indisputably strong, particularly on the soft compound.
That strong showing was bolstered by impressive top speed along the calendar's longest straight, as well as the latest major upgrade package for the RB22. The new floor and revised sidepods delivered the desired gains, leaving the drivers feeling significantly more confident behind the wheel.
Isack Hadjar noted that the car's cornering balance was dialed in from Free Practice 1 and stability under braking represented a significant leap forward compared to Budapest, even if Red Bull still trail Mercedes on the power unit front. Verstappen echoed similar sentiments regarding the improved balance, but highlighted lingering issues with tire wear and electrical deployment:
"We have other issues with the car that we definitely need to address, because that's where we're losing outright speed and lap time. That's exactly what we are working on. But the new components performed well and, overall, we are pleased with how the car felt throughout the weekend," the four-time champion commented. "If Mercedes successfully introduce their upgrades in Malaysia, they'll take another step forward, making it even harder for us to win. However, we will keep pushing in every single race and capitalize on any opportunity that comes our way," Verstappen added.
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