Horner: "Before the weekend I predicted that would happen"

Not Max Verstappen, but Christian Horner talked to Olav Mol after the Friday practice in Saudi Arabia. Verstappen was still busy consulting his engineers, so the Red Bull Racing team boss did the talking.

Verstappen's consultation with his engineers is running long due to all the new data that has been collected. "There's a lot to be done," Horner said during Formula 1 Café on Ziggo Sport. "It's a new track and we've collected a lot of data that needs to be looked at. In addition, we need to make improvements to the set-up of the car. We are doing everything we can to get the maximum performance out of it."

The Dutchman was immediately very fast when he took to the track for the first time on the brand new Jeddah Corniche Circuit, something Horner did not doubt for a moment beforehand. "I would have bet my house on it," said the 48-year-old Briton. "Before the weekend I predicted that would happen."

"That's the case at every circuit we go to. That's just pure talent. He finds the limit of the car very quickly, as well as the limit of a new circuit. That he can do that is just in his nature, and it's brilliant to see," Horner said.