Max Verstappen and Red Bull are set for a poignant return to Austria praying the closing pack do not spoil the party. It will be the first time the Formula One champions have raced on their home track since billionaire co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz died last October aged 78.
Their Austrian benefactor has been one of the most influential men in F1 history. He not only financed the team and its sister operation, AlphaTauri, but invested tens of millions re-building the Spielberg scene of Sunday’s Grand Prix near Graz and getting it back on the calendar.
On pure form there is only one team in the game as Red Bull have won all eight Grands Prix so far but the rest are closing in.
Max Verstappen’s 50-second advantage at the opening round in Bahrain has been trimmed to less than 10 seconds at the last round in Canada.