Horner happy with Pérez: 'He played an important role with Verstappen'

Max Verstappen qualified in third place on Friday afternoon for the sprint race on Saturday. The Dutchman was slower than the two Mercedes drivers, who took the first two places.

However, Christian Horner saw plenty of positives for the rest of the weekend. "To be honest, we've almost halved the gap from last year and I have to say Checo played an important role in that today by dragging Max," he told Sky Sports in an interview.

The Red Bull Racing team boss feels it is still difficult to say which strategy the Austrians will opt for. "Let's see how things develop. We will probably have to take a penalty in the next four or five races. There are a lot of what-if moments. There is no clear plan. It will definitely be at a circuit where you can overtake."

Pérez did a lot less than Verstappen on Friday afternoon. The Mexican got no further than a ninth finishing position, which means he will find himself in the thick of things during the sprint race.