Max Verstappen Confirms No Big Red Bull Upgrades For The Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Max Verstappen has confirmed that Red Bull is not bringing any major upgrades to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend.

The Austrian team are dealing with less wind tunnel time this year after being handed a penalty for exceeding the cost cap in 2021, so it has been a consideration for the team that as the 2023 season progresses the gap behind them will close as the other teams make more significant improvements.

During an interview with Sky Sports, the Dutch driver explained that the team are not bringing any major upgrades to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He said:

"The paint [of the livery] will be the same! I think naturally every weekend there are little things you put on the car.

"You make changes to the car, that's no different here. We change little bits on the car to try and improve the performance here."

One big change for the race weekend ahead is the alteration to the sprint race format. Verstappen has been vocal about his feelings on the sprint race weekends, saying that it is not worth the risk to the car. Despite this, he went on to add that he doesn't see it changing a lot.

Max Verstappen gives his honest thoughts on the new Sprint format 👇 pic.twitter.com/v9RXTCh3mn
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 27, 2023

He continued:

"I think once you are at the front, it's like eight, seven or six points. It's not making a massive difference and the risk involved of potentially having a shunt. I don't see it being a lot different to what it was in the previous sprint weekends.

"A little bit more chaos because of the extra qualifying. This track is chaotic anyway, so this will only make it more chaotic.

"From my side, I don't think it will change a lot."

Verstappen concluded:

"I understand selling more tickets on Friday and Saturday, but when you do 24 or 25 race weekends, I think a good option would be to shorten the weekend [...]. And then you add in sprint weekends, it makes it more busy."