Verstappen almost had to start from the pits: 'It was right on the edge'

Red Bull was just in time with radio message

"Max blew a valve but understandable," Horner began at Sky Sports. According to the team boss, Red Bull was too focused on getting the best possible result. "We were perfectly positioned to be the last car over the line, the fuel was just too marginal. Rather than take the risk of starting from the pits, we took the tough decision to abort the lap."

That decision, incidentally, came just in time, as could be heard in the hasty radio message to Verstappen. "We took the decision two corners before the pitlane, it was right on the edge. We just couldn't afford to take the risk," Horner explained.

Red Bull's blunder overshadows Sergio Perez's strong qualifying, Horner believes. "Everyone has forgotten about Checo who nearly took pole position," he continued. "He had a couple of wobbles on his fast lap, a hell of a lap two hundredths off Charles. he was disappointed at the end. But it's turning into a different race for him."