Christian Horner responds to Max Verstappen’s ‘road rage’ after Red Bull star fumed

F1: Spanish Grand Prix preview

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Christian Horner says Max Verstappen’s anger during the Spanish Grand Prix was ‘understandable’ as he struggled with DRS issues. The Dutch star continuously fumed over the team radio as he struggled to get his DRS flap to open during the battle with George Russell for second position.

He had placed himself under pressure after an early race mistake forced him on a detour through the gravel dropping him down to fourth before making a comeback. 

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Horner said: “He was venting his frustration and there was a little bit of road rage going on at points which is understandable, he must have hit the button about 50 times on one straight.

“The problem was not one that had been confined to the race. The Red Bull man had struggled to open the flap during qualifying for the race, leaving him starting the race in second position. “It is something we need to get on top of.”

The Dutch star eventually claimed the race victory in somewhat fortuitous circumstances after Charles Leclerc was forced to retire with an engine problem. 

Horner was quick to send his condolences to the Ferrari driver, who also lost the Championship lead as a result of Verstappen’s victory. “The pace in the car today was very strong but it was a shame for Charles,” he said. “I think it would have been a really interesting fight in the second half of the race.”

Leclerc was not the only Ferrari driver to suffer issues in the race. Carlos Sainz made a similar mistake to Verstappen at turn four which dropped him down to 11th early on. He recovered well to finish fourth but it allowed Perez to make it a Red Bull one-two. Perez was also crucial in helping Verstappen to claim the race victory, letting the Dutchman pass him twice to help boost his title hopes. 

Horner was full of praise for his second driver. “I have to give a shoutout to Checo,” he said “They were on different strategies today and they worked together fantastically well.”

The race result means that Red Bull now lead both Championships. Verstappen is ahead of Leclerc at the top of the drivers’ standings by six points while the drinks manufacturers outfit leads the Constructors’ by a healthy 26 points. The Grand Prix could not have gone much better for Horner and his team while the team principal will be relieved to see that their early season reliability woes are now largely behind them. 

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