Red Bull showed potential in Baku, but McLaren took the advantage as Verstappen contained setbacks.
Christian Horner insisted that Sergio Perez could have clinched the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix given his pace on the day.
Perez and Sainz were vying for third place on the penultimate lap when they collided and crashed into the wall. Perez vented his frustration over the team radio, stating, “He deserved much better. Carlos drifted slightly to the left on the track. It’s very disappointing. He should have, at the very least, been on the podium. This ruined Checo’s race, caused significant damage, and cost us crucial points in the constructors’ championship.”
Red Bull relinquished the lead in the constructors’ championship to McLaren in Baku, following Piastri’s win and Norris’s fourth place.
When asked if Perez could have caught up with Piastri before his incident with Sainz, Horner responded, “Difficult. Unfortunately, he lost quite a bit of time in his out laps with Alex Albon. Then, Lando cost him dearly, which gave Oscar the track position. Without that, he would have won today. He had the pace. This accident… It’s one of those heart-breaking moments for the team, losing a podium in the final laps of the race.”
“However, we must acknowledge that Checo had a very good weekend and maintained excellent pace throughout the race. He was competitive throughout the weekend. He delivered a performance worthy of a victory today. Of course, this is a track where he has always excelled, but I think we’ve understood a few things with the car, and it was good to see Checo’s car in contention for the win throughout the race.”
Max Verstappen did not have this pace and finished fifth in Azerbaijan. Horner explained why Perez was faster and promises not to give up in the constructors’ championship battle against McLaren.
“He found a good rhythm and the right settings. Checo’s car was very fast today. We may have introduced elements to Max’s car that didn’t work very well. We damaged the tyres by battling for such a long period. Look at George Russell’s stint. He starts slowly, progresses, and then has a better tyre at the end. It’s truly very frustrating.”
“There are still many races to go. It was a magnificent race at the front for so many laps. We are disappointed that it ended so closely when it wasn’t necessary.”
“We will give it our all. We’re no longer defending; we are now chasing McLaren, so this changes the dynamics again. We will give everything.”
In the drivers’ championship, Verstappen is only three points behind Norris, a fact that Horner finds somewhat satisfying.
“With Max, we have a driver who is contending for the world title. It’s a team sport, so it’s very clear that Checo’s role is to support Max until the end of the year. In this race, Checo could have done much better and helped the team rather than just Max. Fortunately, Lando didn’t have a good weekend.”
“Oscar didn’t have to follow such directives either, so we’ll see. Lando Norris, they pay him five times more than Oscar. So, I assume he will be their number one driver, or their greatest asset. Therefore, confusion arises when you’re not clear from the beginning about your plans. They seem to have clarified this, but we’ll see when they are first and second on the track if it still works.”
“For us, the question doesn’t arise. When you have an asset like Max Verstappen, you don’t make him a number two driver. Max limited the damage well here and that’s perfect.”
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