Red Bull boss Christian Horner has admitted the team “turned the car upside down” to provide Max Verstappen with the tools to win Formula 1‘s Japanese Grand Prix.
Red Bull appeared primed to endure another challenging weekend at Suzuka when Verstappen expressed that he was lacking “confidence” in the car through practice.
That was mirrored in the lap times as Verstappen languished more than five tenths behind the pacesetting McLarens through both the opening two practice sessions.
However, the Dutchman pulled out a remarkable lap to edge the much-fancied McLaren drivers to pole position, which he converted with a measured drive in the race.
Horner has revealed that Verstappen worked with his engineers to implement sizeable set-up changes across the weekend that helped to extract the RB21’s potential.
“We literally turned the car upside down set-up-wise,” Horner told media including Motorsport Week.
“He’s worked very hard with the engineering team.
“Finally, we were able to give him a car that he could make use of in Q3 yesterday with the most stunning lap and then convert that today in a hard-fought victory,
in a straight fight, [which] puts him one point behind in the Drivers’ Championship. So we leave Japan still with plenty of work to do, but huge motivation.”
Horner downplays Red Bull’s slow start
However, Red Bull’s need to complete a sensational turnaround has again prompted scepticism surrounding the condition of the simulation tools that the squad uses.
“Inevitably those questions always get asked and the biggest sensor you have in the car is the driver,” Horner explained.
“And I think… all credit to the team this weekend. At the beginning of the weekend we looked like we were out the window.
“We managed to get the car into a decent window and then Max Verstappen demonstrated why he’s got the number one on the car.”
Horner was reticent regarding whether there is a method to streamline the process in Japan that culminated in Verstappen being equipped with a package to triumph.
When asked whether there was a chance to shortcut that procedure somewhere, Horner responded: “Inevitably you’re always learning.
“Ride heights, weight distributions, wing levels, roll bars. Almost every adjustment on the car we’ve been through this weekend.
“It just demonstrates if you keep working hard and you never give up, anything is possible.
“Max has been stunning this weekend and demonstrated once again why I think he’s the best driver on the grid.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen: Red Bull still not able to win consistently despite shock Japan F1 victory
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