Christian Horner felt Red Bull Racing got the most out of Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday, and with Max Verstappen set to start fourth on the grid, it gives him possible early opportunities to make moves forward.
Unfortunately for Daniel Ricciardo, he will take a grid penalty following a component change on his engine, meaning he will drop ten places from his fifth position in Qualifying, and team principal Horner says the Australian will be up for the challenge to make progress and end his run of two consecutive retirements.
Horner says that with Ricciardo and World Champion Lewis Hamilton both coming through the field, it means Sunday’s race at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace could be an exciting one for the fans.
“An uneventful Qualifying for us today, and we finished where we expected to be,” admitted Horner. “Both drivers had a few issues with grip around this circuit and with temperatures being what they were, to qualify in fourth and fifth respectively for Max and Daniel is the maximum we could have hoped for.
“With Max on the second row of the grid, he will take any opportunity he can to make early progress, while Daniel, whose penalties mean he will start down the grid, will be up for the challenge of moving through the field quickly and closing in on the leaders.
“With Lewis also starting at the back, tomorrow’s Grand Prix could be very interesting indeed.”
