Horner: 'Would have rather won the race than have two sets of softs left'

Max Verstappen has an extra set of softs left after the sprint race compared to the competition, but it remains to be seen whether this will help the Dutchman. Christian Horner would rather have won the race than had a strategic advantage.

Verstappen was soon in the lead after the opening laps of the sprint race for the Brazilian Grand Prix, but that came to an end when George Russell entered the fight with the Red Bull Racing driver. Soon after, the Dutchman also had to face overtakes from Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen crossed the finish line fourth on mediums, while the competition looked a lot faster on soft tyres.

"I would have rather won the race than have two sets of softs left," Horner explained to De Telegraaf. Indeed, it remains to be seen whether the soft tyres can offer success on Sunday. Tyre degradation seems to be a lot higher for the RB18 compared to the competition. Verstappen may now have a set of new softs to spare, but it remains to be seen whether the Dutchman will be able to drive on them for long.

Horner expects a 'fascinating' race

Russell and Hamilton are together on the front row of the grid after Sainz's grid penalty. Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez are on the second row, with Lando Norris and the Ferrari drivers behind them. So the two-time World Champion will have to look not only in front of him, but also in his mirrors. After a dramatic qualifying session, Charles Leclerc will be extra motivated to get a good result at Interlagos.

In any case, Horner expects an exciting main race. "This does ensure that tomorrow [Sunday] could be a fascinating race. Two Red Bulls having to hunt down two Mercedes, while we can't eliminate the Ferraris either," said the Red Bull team boss.