F1 news: Red Bull's Max Verstappen expects another 'tough race' in Austin

The Red Bull ace has already secured his third consecutive title, after winning 14 out of the 17 races this year, and is now free to enjoy the upcoming Grands Prix without pressure.

Formula One returns to North America with the next race set for Austin, Texas, where Verstappen expects high temperatures, which should give drivers another big test of their resolve.

The sprint race format also reduces F1 teams' testing time, which puts further strain on the engineering side to get their setups right quickly.

"I'm really looking forward to the race in Austin this weekend, as a team we have a lot of special memories from there," said Verstappen, according to his official website.

"The atmosphere at the track is also like no other, there are so many Oracle Red Bull Racing fans there to cheer us on."

He added: "It is of course another sprint race so it could be quite hectic for us, as we only have one session to try and find the optimum balance in the car. 

"The temperatures look to be high too so I'm expecting another tough race. 

"I'm also excited to see the new special fan designed livery on the car, it's going to be cool."

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