Horner reflects on "positive day" for Red Bull in Japan

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner looks back on the Japanese Grand Prix with fondness, saying that it was a positive day for the Bulls as Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo ended third and fourth respectively.

Verstappen had contact with both Ferrari drivers in the opening laps of the race as both Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel tried moves on him, but he survived both impacts, although he did get a penalty for his collision with Raikkonen. He eventually finished where he started, in third place, almost finishing second after putting a lot of pressure on Valtteri Bottas in second place.

As for Ricciardo, who finished the day as the Driver of the Day, he finally had a good outing again for Red Bull. The Aussie started from P15 after breaking down in qualifying but fought his way up the field, capitalizing on the limps of the Ferrari cars.

“Today was a good day for both drivers and the team,” Horner was quoted by TheCheckeredFlag.

“For Max to achieve a podium despite incurring a five-second penalty following contact with Kimi on the opening lap was a great performance.

“He had a busy afternoon, with a racing incident between him and Seb on lap seven resulting in damage.

"Despite that, he was still able to close down Valtteri in the final stages and put him under pressure to try and claim second place and secure his third consecutive Suzuka podium.

“Daniel also drove a very strong Grand Prix, progressing through the field with some great overtakes and with strong pace he was able to finish fourth from fifteenth on the grid.

"All round, it has been a positive day getting two cars to the finish and taking home a good haul of points for the team.”