Red Bull was left frustrated as a “DRS train” cost Pierre Gasly a chance of points at the Australian Grand Prix.
The Frenchman started 17th on the grid, after a strategic error by the team in qualifying and, on a circuit which is notoriously difficult to pass on, could only recover to 11th.
Team boss Christian Horner would praise Gasly’s effort though, accepting he was in a tough spot to come back from.
“He drove the wheels off the car and it’s a shame that it wasn’t rewarded with a point,” Horner told AP. “He raced hard and I’m sure his time will come.”
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To Sky Sports, the Briton continued: “Unfortunately he ended up in that DRS train.
“The Toro Rosso was very quick on the straight today, I think they’re probably running a little less downforce than we are, and even with the added grip that he had from that softest tyre, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to smash through the lower part of the top 10.
“I thought he drove a good race today, I thought his recovery was strong and it’s a very difficult track to pass at.”
What was slightly ironic was Gasly’s nemesis throughout was Daniil Kvyat, a former Red Bull driver who was in the 23-year-old’s exact same situation in 2015.
Just over a year later, the Russian would be replaced by Max Verstappen, but Horner quickly brushed off any comparisons.
“It’s still early days,” he claimed. “There’s always pressure in Formula 1 but I thought he drove a good race today, he just needs a straightforward weekend.
“He built his way into the [Australia] weekend very well, his feedback’s very strong. We know he’s got the pace, we just got to give the kid a bit of time and it’ll come right for him.”