Horner sympathises with Verstappen: 'That was pretty heartbreaking'

Red Bull Racing looked set to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Max Verstappen, but a burst tyre forced the Dutchman into a wall. Sergio Pérez did take the victory and was awarded the first prize afterwards.

Team boss Christian Horner had to recover from what he had seen afterwards. "What a rollercoaster! I think we have been through every single emotion today," he told Red Bull's review. "To be within five laps of achieving our first 1-2 since 2016 to then lose Max from the lead of the race with a puncture that is so far unexplained was pretty heartbreaking."

"The race was then red-flagged and we had serious concerns that Sergio was losing hydraulic pressure and there were no guarantees he would make it to the finish," continued Horner, who saw Pérez win in the end. "He has been extremely fast all weekend and it was a great boost for the Team to see him on the top step of the podium."

Red Bull conquers victory after all

Pérez's victory, Lewis Hamilton's retirement and Valtteri Bottas' disappointing performance means Red Bull are increasing their lead in the constructors' championship. In the world championship, Verstappen remains in the lead.