Max Verstappen Wins Again, and Red Bull Remembers: Behind the Scenes at the United States Grand Prix

AUSTIN, Texas — Max Verstappen didn’t need any extra motivation to record his 15th win of the season at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, tying his own record from last season. But he had it anyway.

All he had to do was look around at everyone on Red Bull Racing’s team wearing jeans.

Exactly one year ago, as Red Bull Racing prepared for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, the team was informed that Red Bull co-founder and owner Dietrich Mateschitz had died.

Mateschitz, who always wore jeans no matter the occasion, not only built an energy drink empire but one of the most successful Formula One teams. Red Bull Racing has won six Constructors’ Championships and seven Drivers’ Championships since 2010. Verstappen clinched his third straight championship earlier this month with six races to spare, and Red Bull Racing have won all but one race this season. Sergio Perez and Verstappen each won two races through the first four this season before Verstappen won a record 10 straight. It’s a level of dominance Mateschitz dreamed Red Bull Racing would achieve one day when he bought the Jaguar F1 team in 2004.

On Sunday, one year to the day of Mateschitz passing, the Red Bull Racing team, led by Verstappen and Perez, gathered together in their garage at the Circuit of the Americas and took a team picture wearing jeans before applauding the man responsible for bringing them together.

“It was 12 months ago that Dietrich sadly passed,” said Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner. “So as a tribute to him we’re all wearing the jeans. He was always in jeans. That was his style.”

Inside the Paddock Club

Red Bull Racing were putting the finishing touches on Verstappen and Perez’s cars when I was given a tour of the paddock and their garage. Verstappen was all smiles before the race as he talked to the team before the group picture. It was a scene Blake Hinsey, who was Red Bull Racing’s senior performance engineer before becoming one of the sport’s best content creators, has seen for years.

“Max has the ability to go out of the gates and flat-out attack,” Hinsey told The Messager. “The track conditions can be poor, you’re not exactly sure how much grip you have, the car may be behaving slightly different and he’s able to take that much more risk early on with confidence, The second thing is, compared to a lot of his teammates in the past is his ability to cope with a more nervous or unstable car ... Max is able to trust the car and have confidence in the car.”  

That trust and confidence was tested on Sunday as Verstappen at one point called his car a “piece of s---” over team radio as he struggled with brake issues.

We are the champions

After Verstappen clinched his record-tying 15th win of the season and Red Bull Racing’s 17th win of the season through 18 races, the Red Bull hospitality suite at Turn 17 popped bottles of champagne and blasted We Are the Champions by Queen before the DJ transitioned into 33 Max Verstappen by Carte Blanq and Maxx Power.

Celebrity sightings

The United States Grand Prix always brings out A-list celebrities and on Sunday I spotted Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who was visiting the Mercedes garage and chatted with George Russell and Christian Horner before the race. Actor Patrick Dempsey was also in attendance and stopped by the Ferrari garage. Dempsey is in the upcoming Ferrari movie coming out on Christmas Day. Television host Gayle King made a pit stop at Lewis Hamilton’s garage before the race.

Inside look at Club SI

One of the hardest hospitality suites to get into was Sports Illustrated’s Club SI at Turn 12, where a three-day pass went for around $7,000 and included two levels of open bars, food stations and premium seats. Club SI was also at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Miami Grand Prix and will be located at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino for the Las Vegas Grand Prix next month.

“Now that we have three races in the domestic United States, it has given us an opportunity to cast a wider net in the sport and we’re going to expand intentionally in 2024,” Matt Goldstein, SVP of Entertainment and Special Projects at Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Sports Illustrated brand, told The Messenger. “In Las Vegas going to create a more intimate Club SI. We are dead center on the straightaway and we’re going to have the SI Swimsuit models, Dax Sheppard, Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham.”

Travel for coverage of the United States Grand Prix was provided by Red Bull. Red Bull had no input into the editorial process or approval of the editorial content.