Red Bull's significant upgrades in Austin, which propelled Max Verstappen to sprint pole, sprint victory, and P2 on the grid for the US Grand Prix, have restored the team's competitive edge.

"It feels a bit like old times," the three-time world champion said on Saturday.

"I think for us, finally, we're racing again. Normally in the race, we're always looking back behind us. But now we could just do our own race."

The new parts, focusing primarily on the floor and sidepods, were designed not only to increase downforce but also to restore balance and improve control over setup adjustments.

"The car reacted positively to setup changes and did not fall from one extreme to the other as before," team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko told Servus TV.

"Max was able to attack again."

Verstappen confirmed: "Because of the better balance we have now, and because we have more downforce, you can handle the tyres a bit better. It's not rocket science."

Verstappen was close to securing pole position for Sunday's main race, but George Russell's Q3 crash ensured Lando Norris' McLaren held on to his top grid spot.

"Everyone thought we were easily and way far ahead of everyone," Norris said. "And clearly we're not."

After qualifying, Marko said, "Until the yellow flag, Max was one tenth ahead. For the race, I think tyre wear will be decisive, and I believe Max will be very strong in that as well."

"I think McLaren definitely adjusted the setup," Marko continued, "because in the sprint race, Norris' front tyres collapsed. They will definitely have learned from this."