Horner takes Mercedes into account: "They have nothing to lose"

Red Bull Racing made a strong comeback from a disappointing Friday at Zandvoort, and Max Verstappen capitalised on that comeback with pole position. Team boss Christian Horner can only be satisfied with the qualifying result and hopes to turn it into a victory.

Horner called Verstappen's pole lap 'great', especially given the pressure the Dutchman was under. The expectations were huge, but the differences small. "The smallest margin this year, but great for him to get that pole position," the Red Bull Racing team boss said in conversation with Viaplay.

For the race, Horner believes Red Bull has a competitive package, and may be able to capitalise on an advantage over Ferrari. "I think we're in good shape, we managed to save a set of tyres compared to them for the race, so let's see. We've got crunch the numbers tonight, but the most important thing here is grid position, we banked that today. We just have to convert tomorrow," he continued.

Given the pace Mercedes showed over the weekend, Horner suspects there may be a role for the German stable. "They have nothing to lose", concludes the Briton, who expects an exciting race in a packed Zandvoort.