Horner on pit stop decision: ‘Didn’t seem quite comfortable’

Max Verstappen was asked into the pits on Lap 10, while Nyck de Vries was already stopped on track. This led to the Dutchman losing the lead and falling back to third, as Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc could jump him in the pit lane. The Mexican eventually went on to finish P1.

“He was leading the GP when the incident happened. He didn’t seem quite comfortable with the set-up of the car like Checo did. He was talking about the rear tyres prior to the stop,” Red Bull’s team boss told Sky Sports about the decision to pit Verstappen.

“De Vries hit the wall, the engine was still running and to us, it looked like he was just going to reverse out and go from there,” he added about the incident.

Horner was satisfied with both of his drivers following another one-two finish. “He (Perez) had a sensational weekend. He is always been outstanding at this track. I don’t know what it is about this track, but he always excels at this track. He got a little lucky with a safety car, but then converted it by pulling the pace.”

Furthermore, Horner also had some kind words for Verstappen, who looked to chase down Perez, but it was not meant to be today. “In the last 10 laps (Max) was able to find some settings he was happy with and then the lap times were competitive, but hats off to Checo today.”