Red Bull Austin GP Upgrade: Marko Optimistic for Comeback
After finishing second in Singapore, over 20 seconds behind Lando Norris, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko remains confident that the Red Bull Austin GP Upgrade will help the team bounce back stronger at the Austin Grand Prix. Red Bull is preparing to debut their final major upgrade for the 2024 season, and Marko believes this could be the turning point in their championship campaign.
Marko Expects a “Stronger” RB20 in Austin
The team’s struggles began with updates introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which failed to deliver the expected performance. This left Red Bull scrambling, testing various floor setups in subsequent races. Eventually, they found some improvement with a revised floor in Baku, but it wasn’t an immediate fix. The recovery process has been slow, and Red Bull has now gone eight races without a win—stretching all the way back to the Austrian Grand Prix in June. 
In that time, Max Verstappen has only managed three podium finishes, while Sergio Perez has been shut out of the top three since the Miami race. The competition hasn’t been idle, either. McLaren has surged in recent weeks, with Lando Norris securing a commanding victory in Singapore, finishing a full 21 seconds ahead of Verstappen. McLaren now holds a 41-point lead over Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, and Norris has cut Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ standings to just 52 points.
Marko’s Optimism
Despite the setbacks, Marko is far from giving up hope. He’s placing a lot of faith in the upcoming Red Bull Austin GP Upgrade, predicting that it will provide the boost Red Bull needs to close the gap on McLaren.
“We saw how fast Lando Norris was in Singapore, and he’s reduced Max’s lead to 52 points in the Drivers’ standings. In the Constructors’, McLaren has pulled 41 points ahead of us,” Marko told Speedweek.
“We know we need to step up if we want to turn things around, and I’m optimistic that we’ll be stronger in Austin. When Max starts winning again, Sergio usually follows, and that changes the whole dynamic.”
Marko highlighted two key areas Red Bull must focus on to regain their competitive edge. “We need a car that works in a broader range of conditions—it can’t be so sensitive to a narrow window of performance. And of course, we need more speed. I have full confidence in our technical team to make that happen.”
He also pointed out that translating simulation data into real-world performance has been a challenge for the team this season. “In the past, we’ve been misled by discrepancies between our simulations and what happens on track. We can’t afford that anymore. We need to prove ourselves on the circuit, not just in the sim.”
Final Push: The Red Bull Austin GP Upgrade
The upcoming Red Bull Austin GP Upgrade package represents Red Bull’s last major development effort for the 2024 season. With both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships on the line, it’s a crucial moment. Red Bull knows they have to stop McLaren’s momentum and get back to winning ways if they want to defend their titles.
Marko is confident that, with the new upgrades and a fired-up Verstappen, Red Bull can still challenge for both championships. Now, it’s just a matter of whether the team can turn that optimism into on-track results in Austin.
