Ole Schack to work final Grand Prix with Red Bull before stepping back

Ole Schack will work his final Grand Prix with Red Bull at this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix, after choosing to take a step back. The Danish front-end mechanic has been with the team since 2005. The weekend will be special, he says, but he intends to work as usual and wants the team to get Max Verstappen across the line first.

Speaking to De Telegraaf, Schack picked the rain-soaked Brazilian Grand Prix of 2016 as one of his standout memories of Verstappen. He recalled the teenager going from the back of the field to third; what impressed him was the skill shown in those conditions, not a victory. Verstappen’s debut win at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, aged 18 with Kimi Räikkönen close behind, was another moment Schack remembered fondly.

Schack described Verstappen as relaxed, fond of a joke and easy to deal with away from the car, but said Q3 brought a different look: the driver went all-in on the lap that could make the difference. Asked whether he might be the one to go to the podium if Verstappen wins, Schack replied, “That’s not up to me.” He says he will always cheer his Red Bull colleagues from afar.