Optimistic Verstappen wary of 'hectic' United States GP

Max Verstappen is hopeful the Red Bull will be better suited to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) after changes to the RB20 ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

F1 heads to Austin after a near-four week break for a frenetic end to the season. Six rounds in eight weeks separates Verstappen from a fourth-consecutive drivers' title.

However, the Dutchman must successfully fend off the advances of Lando Norris. The McLaren driver currently trails him by 52 points in the championship standings.

With the MCL38 has been developed into the class of the field, the RB20 has fallen from its perch as F1's dominant car.

To counteract its loss of form, Red Bull will introduce upgrades at COTA in the hope it will at the least preserve Verstappen's championship lead.

Things are looking more bleak in the constructors' race, with McLaren leading the Milton Keynes team by 41 points.

Verstappen, meanwhile, is optimistic about what the Autumn break has afforded Red Bull, even if Austin hosting a sprint event makes the weekend more difficult to manage.

"We have had a few weeks away from racing, giving us time to refocus and to work hard on our performance ahead of the United States Grand Prix," said the 27-year-old.

"We have made some changes to the car to hopefully better suit this circuit, so will see if this makes us more competitive when we head out on track."

"This week will be another hectic Sprint race, with a lot planned over the weekend. Austin is a really cool city and the atmosphere at the track is like no other."

Verstappen, who will sport his United States race helmet again this weekend, has enjoyed considerable recent success at COTA.

The Red Bull driver has won the past three grand prix in Austin. Being able to extend that streak to four will significantly boost his chances of retaining his F1 drivers' crown.

"I will be back in my US helmet for this race, which is a tribute to the passionate fans here and features the skyline of all three US cities that we are racing in," the 61-time grand prix winner added.

"We have a lot of good memories here, so we are looking forward to heading back and racing there this week."