Max Verstappen says that his victory at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix just over a week ago was a vindication of Red Bull Racing and Honda‘s “hard work”.
The Dutchman became the first non-Mercedes AMG Motorsport driver to win a race in 2019, after eight successive victories from Mercedes – 10 when counting back to 2018 – to start the season.
The result at Red Bull’s home race ensured the team’s first win since Verstappen triumph in the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix, and new engine supplier Honda’s first since Jenson Button‘s maiden victory at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix – prompting emotional scenes on the Red Bull Ring podium.
Honda had faced numerous criticisms in its return to F1 with the McLaren F1 Team in an ill-fated spell between 2015 and ’17, before migrating to the Red Bull family with sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso in ’18 and then Red Bull at the start of the current season – where it has shown an upwards trend.
“I’m looking forward to Silverstone, especially after our win in Austria last weekend,” said Verstappen.
“It was a really special moment for everyone in the team and for Honda – all the hard work is beginning to pay off.”
Verstappen has one British Grand Prix podium to his name in F1, in 2016, but showed promising pace in ’18 frantic race before suffering a gearbox failure in the late stages.
The 21-year-old says that the high speed challenge of Silverstone and the “passionate” crowd asserts the British race as one of the finest on the F1 calendar, and hopes that Red Bull can follow its true home grand prix victory with a “great show” at its effective second home race.
“I really enjoy Silverstone because of the high speed corners, Becketts and Maggots being my favourite, and it’s great fun to drive,“ Verstappen added.
“I also know it pretty well after racing there in [European Formula 3] before F1.
“I love to see all the British fans camping and supporting us in the grandstands. There is always a big turnout and they are definitely some of the most passionate F1 fans in the world.
“A lot of great, fast corners is what we like and I can’t imagine the calendar without it.
“Because our factory is just down the road [in Milton Keynes], it is another home race for the team so I hope we can continue our progress and put on a great show for everyone on Sunday.“
