Formula 1

HORNER IS HOPEFUL : LONG RUNS VERSTAPPEN ENCOURAGING

Published

3 years ago

14/08/2020

Christian Horner is satisfied with Max Verstappen’s Friday training. The Dutchman does have to concede a lot on both Mercedes, but his long runs offer hope.

(Horner is hopeful : Long runs Verstappen encouraging) – According to Horner, the fact that Mercedes is the team to beat in one lap is also the case during the Spanish Grand Prix. “However, Verstappen’s long runs, especially on the mediums, are encouraging,” says the Red Bull Racing team principal on Sky Sports. “However, we have to look at what the weather is doing, as it looks like it’s going to be a warm weekend. We will have to check the data and we still have one session (VT3, ed.) to go. I don’t want to make any assumptions yet.”

The fact that Red Bull Racing is competitive is mainly due to the people within the team, Horner says. “Not just in terms of strategy, the whole team is doing very well. We don’t have the fastest car, but this team seems to be able to adapt and act fast, time and time again”.

He refers back to the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, which Verstappen won thanks to the right tactics. “That brave call to start on the hard tyres at Silverstone is in our DNA. Sometimes you have to stick your head out the window to be successful.”

“We need to make him comfortable with the car”

While Verstappen finished third twice in the Friday practice sessions, teammate Alexander Albon finished no further than eighth and thirteenth. Still, Horner continues to have confidence in the 23-year-old driver. “He has to work on his Saturdays in particular. On Sunday he’s doing great: a good pace, catching up, everything we want”.

“We have to make him comfortable with the car,” continues the forty-year-old. “Max can cope with that already. Hopefully, we can give him that consistency and that self-confidence.”

From the Belgian Grand Prix onwards, the qualification mode, an engine mode in which the engine will run faster in the last qualifying lap, is banned. People mainly think that Mercedes will have problems with this, but Horner doesn’t venture to make such predictions yet. “It’s hard to say how the ban will affect teams,” he says. “I hope it will be more exciting, especially on Saturday, but that’s hard to say.”

HORNER IS HOPEFUL : LONG RUNS VERSTAPPEN ENCOURAGING HORNER IS HOPEFUL : LONG RUNS VERSTAPPEN ENCOURAGING