Red Bull had wanted to make Verstappen the youngest champion in F1 history when they brought him into the sport at the age of 17 back in 2015. But Mateschitz, who has been ill for some time, lived long enough to see Verstappen win not one but two world titles. Sainz, another product of the Red Bull young driver programme, paid his own tribute to Mateschitz, and added that he was “realistic” about his prospects for the race. “We are going to try everything we can to try and win the race but we know what Red Bull are capable of on Sundays,” Sainz said. Verstappen doesn’t need an extra incentive to go for the win, but the loss of Mateschitz certainly provides one.

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