Honda says Verstappen limited damage: 'Important points for championship'

Red Bull Racing lost out to Mercedes in the Brazilian Grand Prix, but can be relatively satisfied with both drivers in the top four. Sister team AlphaTauri scored a seventh and a fifteenth place. Honda says it is disappointed by missing out on victory, but the engine manufacturer is picking up many crucial points with both teams.

"It's always disappointing not to win, but for Max to finish second and Checo to finish fourth after a tough and very exciting race was a case of damage control for us," explained technical director Toyoharu Tanabe in a press release from Honda Racing F1.

For Red Bull, which went into the weekend as the favourite, second place in Brazil counts as a defeat. Yet Honda is looking on the bright side. "The points we scored, including Perez's extra point for the fastest race lap, will be very important for the championship," Tanabe said.

"Now we head to Qatar for the final part of this triple-header, which is a new venue for everyone. We have been working closely with both our teams and with the Honda staff in Japan and the UK to prepare as well as possible for the next race," concludes the Honda chief.