Red Bull targeting Austria for next RB13 upgrade

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Red Bull Racing brought a revised RB13 to Barcelona last weekend and the changes helped its drivers inch closer to front-runners Mercedes and Ferrari.

But the Milton Keynes-based outfit still remains at a fair distance from its rivals, forcing it to sustain its development efforts as rivals also evolve.

There will be only minor upgrades for Monaco, while a special low downforce package will debut in Canada.

So Red Bull has now scheduled its next big RB13 upgrade for its home race in Austria in early July, with the team also hoping that a planned update of its Renault power unit shall also be available by then.

"If we could turn the power up full, we would not be far from Mercedes and Ferrari," an unnamed team member said.

"But because of reliability, we can't do it yet."

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The team's performance deficit this year has brought Adrian Newey back into the paddock after the famous F1 designer spent much of his time in the last two years on non-F1 projects.

"Adrian wanted the feedback from the drivers to better understand the car and determine the direction for the future," team boss Christian Horner told Auto Motor und Sport..

"We are looking at which of our tools we can rely on and which we cannot. The wider tyres have a greater impact on aero than we thought."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.