Red Bull team boss Christian Horner praised the collective effort of his squad after once again taking full advantage of an opportunity to score a third win of 2018 at the Austrian GP.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit had been struggling all weekend in Spielberg and even saw tensions flare during a bad qualifying which saw the Haas of Romain Grosjean split their two cars.
It all changed though during the race, as a slightly cheeky move saw Max Verstappen move ahead of Kimi Raikkonen on Lap 1 before a strategy call to pit under a Virtual Safety Car put the Dutchman in position to claim a very popular win.
“It is a dream result,” he admitted post-race. “Red Bull Ring, Red Bull car, and Max driving an unbelievable race and it was absolutely nailed in the first lap.”
There was another challenge which the 20-year-old had to overcome and that was blistered tyres, something that took teammate Daniel Ricciardo out of contention before later retiring with a broken exhaust.
“Hats off to him, it was a really mature race because the tyres were so crucial,” Horner added. “The blisters and everything that is going on, he just managed to keep those temperatures down and managed it all the way through.
“He was keeping the rear left cooler than the rear right and the left here is the on that takes all the load. He was constantly asking for information and managing those tyres and that is why they didn’t blister up. A very very mature drive.”
A fourth career win was also vindication for how much Verstappen has turned his season around in recent races with four podiums in the last five Grands Prix.
“The margins in F1 are so fine,” said Horner. “You saw there was a touch at Turn 2 with Kimi and a touch at Turn 7, a few races ago that could’ve been a puncture, and there’s a very different story.
“Max obviously has had a tough first third of the year and all credit to him, he’s kept his head, the last three races he’s been third, second and first with three very impressive drivers.”
It wasn’t just about Max though, with Horner also singling out team manager Jonathon Wheatley for the work done in moments to complete a double pit-stop that would prove so decisive.
“The teamwork today, that is why I sent Jonathan up to get the trophy today,” the Red Bull team boss noted. “Two fantastic pit stops, and sharp with the Virtual Safety Car.
“You have to have confidence in your boys to nail a double stop with the proximity that the drivers were in there and we got the best guys in the pit lane, without any shadow of doubt.
“It was a ballsy call but it was the right thing to do and it paid dividends.”
