"We are just too slow at the moment"

Despite winning there in 2018, Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen has played down any chance of this happening again this season, as the Dutchman admits the RB15 "is just too slow at the moment" to compete at the top.

Verstappen has been one of the most impressive drivers of the season so far, often out-performing what people think is possible for Red Bull in a race weekend. However, the Austrian side hasn't won any races yet in 2019, with Verstappen not getting higher than third place.

One of the 21-year-old's two wins in 2018 came at the Red Bull Ring with both Mercedes cars breaking down. When asked what his expectations were this time in front of his team's home crowd, the Dutchman remained realistic.

"Fifth or sixth, if there are no accidents," he told Motorsport-Total.com.

"It depends if Ferrari make any mistakes, but both drivers would have to make a mistake [for Verstappen to finish above them]. Which is always possible."

Although the five-time Grand Prix winner has regularly beaten Ferrari during races and in qualifying, he knows that Red Bull's pace on paper isn't on par with the Italian team.

When analysing in what department most improvements can be made, Verstappen thinks engine supplier Honda can provide a more powerful engine compared to competitors.

"We have to work hard to find more pace, mostly with the engine. You can see Ferrari and Mercedes, as well as Renault, have taken strides. Our [development] isn't big enough at the moment."