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Horner on Verstappen's difficulties overtaking Sainz

Horner on Sainz's weakness: 'Max knew Ferrari was vulnerable there'

4 September at 09:28
Last update 4 September at 10:29
  • Sam Godber

Red Bull missed out on pole position on Saturday, but on Sunday, the team clearly had the most racing speed. The Austrian racing stable took a 1-2 at Monza. Team boss Christian Horner tells Sky Sports that his team is always more focused on the setup for the race, than for qualifying.

It is certainly reflected in the statistics that the RB19's speed in races cannot be matched by any team. Red Bull won every race so far in 2023. Also, this was already the sixth time this season that the team from Austria grabbed a 1-2.

Horner says: "All season we have put more emphasis on Sundays. We knew the temperature would be hot today, Max commented that Carlos was moving around with his rear tyres. He knew if he kept it cool, they were vulnerable."

Top speed of Ferrari

Yet Verstappen did not immediately overtake his Spanish colleague. This is because the Ferrari had a huge top speed, which made overtaking difficult at the start. "They ran a low wing," Horner began. "They put new engines in, fresh engines have more punch. Maybe they ran it harder because it’s Monza but they were quick on the straights. Even with DRS it was hard to pass them."