Red Bull Racing has brought a number of updates, as Helmut Marko assured us. It is now clear that these are improvements to the floor, the bargeboards and the brake ducts. During the first free practice these can already be admired on one RB16B.

And that is on the car of Max Verstappen. The 23-year old Limburger has been given the honour by his Austrian employer to do some mileage with the updates. Sergio Perez will drive with the older specification during the first session of the Portuguese Grand Prix. It seems likely that if the updates go well, Perez will get the new parts later this weekend.

Mercedes also with improvements?

It is not known how much time Red Bull expects to gain in Portimao. Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz doesn't think Red Bull is the only team with updates. The journalist, who has been in the paddock for years , expects Mercedes to have updates from the factory as well. So it's likely to be a neck-and-neck race again.

Lewis Hamilton currently holds the lead in the world championship. His lead over Max Verstappen is minimal with just one point. Marko hopes Red Bull can regain the lead in the battle for the World Championship title for the first time in over seven years this weekend in Portugal.