Red Bull hopeful of P5: 'Verstappen's call helped us to P2'

Red Bull Racing leaves Russia with a good feeling. Christian Horner says that his team was expecting Max Verstappen to finish at a maximum of P5, so he is delighted with second place.

Red Bull and Verstappen had to limit the damage on the Sochi circuit. The Dutchman had to start from the back due to a grid penalty and had to make sure he lost as few points as possible on the 'Mercedes circuit'. The fact that Verstappen drove to second place, however, no one at Red Bull had dared dream.

Dream scenario for Red Bull

''I think it was like a victory for us. To go from 20th on the grid to P2, I think if anybody had offered us that prior to the weekend, we would have bitten their arm off. So to have achieved that, to come away from two Mercedes strongholds with only a two-point deficit in the drivers’ championship, is hugely encouraging. With seven to go, it's all to play for,'' Horner said according to Autosport.com.

Before the race, Horner never expected that a P2 was possible. Pre-race, probably P5 would have been the absolute optimum. So to come away with P2, because it was looking, obviously, a few laps before the end, as if we were going to be P6. Max got the call right to go on to the inters, and it worked out well for him," concludes Red Bull Racing's team principal.