F1 titles Red Bull’s “only goal” for 2020 - Verstappen

Max Verstappen says Red Bull’s sights are solely set on Formula 1 silverware when this year’s delayed world championship gets underway next month.

Red Bull was tipped as the team most likely to challenge Mercedes’ current supremacy in F1 after its strong form in pre-season testing in Barcelona before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement or cancellation of the opening 10 races.

A revised eight-leg European calendar has already been confirmed to kick off the F1 season, which will begin next month with a double-header event at Austrian venue the Red Bull Ring.

“As a team, our expectations are to win. We want to go for the championship, that’s our only goal,” Verstappen said in an interview with ex-F1 racer David Coulthard for Carnext.com.

“Everybody is very motivated, so I’m looking forward to get started and see where we are.

“I’m feeling good and I’m feeling ready,” he added. “You would hope so after such a long break, but it’s really exciting to get started again.”

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Back-to-back races in Austria are likely to have put smiles on the faces of Verstappen and Red Bull considering the Dutchman's recent form at the Spielberg track, having claimed two consecutive victories there in the past two years.

In contrast, Mercedes has struggled for performance at the Red Bull Ring in recent seasons and suffered a rare double retirement in 2018 before cooling issues with its W10 package hampered its pace in 2019.

F1 chiefs are currently working to finalise the remainder of the campaign and are striving for a 15-18-round world championship.