“Big question” teased about Red Bull’s “magic” upgrade

Guenther Steiner has questioned the significance of an upgrade which Red Bull could bring to Austin.

Formula 1 returns for the final part of the season next weekend for the United States Grand Prix in Texas.

Red Bull and Max Verstappen are desperately scrapping for the constructors’ and drivers’ titles against in-form McLaren and Lando Norris.

Ex-Haas boss and Red Bull technical operations director Steiner had his say on whether the four-week break has allowed the constructors’ champions to rebuild.

“Everything is planned beforehand. I don’t think you have any advantage,” Steiner told the Red Flags podcast.

“What is coming for Austin is already prepared.

“A week or three weeks? I don’t think the preparation level is any different.

“The big question is: how big is this upgrade, this apparent ‘magic floor’ which is coming to Austin, going to help them catch up to McLaren?

“That’s the big question. The rest is straightforward.

“I don’t think catching McLaren this year will be possible. What they showed in Singapore was amazing.

“The Ferrari can play a bigger role than they played in Singapore in the world championship.

“In theory, they should be in front of Max. They didn’t qualify, then there was no red flag or Safety Car to help them. They had to fight which wasn’t easy.

“McLaren is in a good way but Max will fight until the end to hang onto the world championship.”

Steiner insisted that Red Bull’s best hope is to establish themselves as quicker than Mercedes and Ferrari.

“Yes. Then, they can take advantage if the McLaren makes a mistake or something goes wrong,” he said.

“They have to rely on McLaren getting it wrong, more than them getting it right.”

McLaren lead Red Bull in the constructors’ by 41 points and are heavily favoured to win that championship now.

Intriguingly Verstappen still has a 52-point lead over Norris in the drivers’.