P1 for Max Verstappen, P3 for Sergio Pérez. And so Christian Horner is a satisfied man after the sprint race. The Red Bull Racing team boss saw how the world champion accurately managed his tires from lap one to 24, but especially had compliments for his Mexican driver. Although Horner made it clear that Pérez did exactly what they expected of him within the Austrian racing team.
“We executed the sprint race very well,” Horner told Viaplay afterwards. The Brit was very satisfied with the performance of his team and both drivers. That was a boost for the successful racing team. In Brazil, Red Bull still had something to make up for after last season’s poorer performance at Interlagos. With Verstappen in first and Pérez in third – and of course pole position for the Dutchman on Friday – the Austrians have already made a good start to the race weekend in São Paulo.
Horner now knows what to expect from an always hungry Verstappen. “He managed his tires excellently,” the team boss noted. But he went into more detail about Pérez’s performance. ‘Checo recovered fantastically and was fast during the race. He scored good points today.’ The Mexican lost two places at the start to the Mercedes drivers, but fought back and regained third place. ‘He showed what we expect from him, but especially what he is capable of. He performed well,” Horner concluded.
What does this say about Sunday’s race?
“I think we got a good idea about our race pace during this Sprint,” Horner answered when asked what Sunday will bring for Red Bull. ‘At first glance it is positive, but we also know that there will still be a lot of racing to be done.’ The constructors’ champion knows all too well that the most points will only be distributed on Sunday.
Verstappen can take his seventeenth win of the season this weekend in Brazil. Also betting on F1? Register now at JACKS and receive 60 euros in free bets! If you play responsibly, you keep it fun. What does gambling cost you? Stop on time, 18+
