Max Verstappen issues Red Bull plea ahead of US GP

F1 champion Max Verstappen has issued a plea to Red Bull ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

The Dutchman enters Austin 63 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, after a return to form for Red Bull in the past three races.

Red Bull introduced a revised floor in Monza and a front wing upgrade in Singapore, with Verstappen winning both the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix.

Now, the champion has delivered a plea to his team ahead of the US GP, hoping that they can improve even more this weekend.

"We've been driving strong races lately and we want to maintain that momentum. Hopefully, we can do even better this weekend," he said in a Red Bull Racing preview.

"I've been at the factory this week for pre-season training. The team is working incredibly hard and analysing where we can improve."

Can Red Bull win at COTA?

Verstappen and Red Bull only had one practice session to prepare for the weekend, with the sprint returning at the US GP, and the 28-year-old reflected on the challenge in the preview.

"That means we have to be on top of things quickly, because there's less time to fine-tune things,” he explained.

“That will be a challenge for everyone. At this circuit, it's all about finding the right balance between speed on the straights and downforce for the fast corners. The bumps in the road surface can always make things tricky.”

“Austin is a cool city with great food, so it's always fun to race there."

Verstappen’s team-mate Yuki Tsunoda will also be hoping for a positive weekend at COTA, with the Japanese driver fighting for his place in F1.

Tsunoda is 253 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, and with youngsters such as Alex Dunne and Arvid Lindblad hunting for an opportunity with Racing Bulls, the 25-year-old faces being let go from the Red Bull family altogether.

"I'm looking forward to this week in Austin. It's always a fun one, super busy off track but enjoyable,” Tsunoda added.

“I'll relax with classic Texas BBQ at some point but my full focus is on track and getting the most out of this weekend. Sprint weekends hold their own challenges and it means that the work you do in the car on Friday really has to count.

“Since Baku, I feel like I've gained real confidence in the car and things started to come together for myself and the Team, I found myself in a nice rhythm. Singapore threw up battles of its own, but here in Austin, I am hoping that this circuit puts us back into the window where I was starting to get the best out of myself and the car."

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