Horner on Verstappen: "There was more risk" with his strategy

Christian Horner saw Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez grab yet another one-two of 2023 in Miami. The Red Bull Racing team boss saw Sergio Perez fail to cash in on his pole position, while Verstappen had a great race. The strategy on which Verstappen started ultimately proved to be the right one, although Horner thinks Perez would not have won either had he started on hard tyres.

While Perez started from pole position on the mediums, Verstappen opted for the harder tyre with the white cheek. "Max starting on the hard tyre, there was more risk with that. our simulations told us that it was a worse race. Where he potentially gained was with a safety car, his team made that choice," Horner told Sky Sports.

Verstappen did without a safety car in the fifth race of the year. "The crucial part was from lap 20, to lap 42, his pace on that worn tyre, that's where he was able to match and better Checo," he said. "Perez knew 19.8 was the magic number to keep him behind, but having gone that long it was an easy pass for Verstappen."

Perez from mediums

So why not also let Perez start on the hard tyre? "The highest probable points score was for him to start on the medium, to be honest with the pace he had it wouldn't have mattered whether he had started on softs, medium or hard!"