Overview
- Max Verstappen said on Thursday he wants to win at least one race this season as he sits sixth in the drivers' standings after 15 rounds and has seven podiums but no victories.
- Red Bull brought an upgrade package in Baku that Verstappen said showed promise and that helped produce improved results in recent races.
- Verstappen said an engine problem in Baku qualifying cost him a clearer shot at a win, underscoring how reliability has affected his chances this year.
- Mercedes has introduced a fresh upgrade that Verstappen warned could make it harder for Red Bull to close the pace gap, increasing uncertainty about where a win might come.
- The return to Sepang after nine years adds a heat- and tyre-degradation challenge for teams and leaves Red Bull treating the remaining rounds as a learning opportunity to shape next season's car.