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“…More Than Charles Leclerc’s Helmet”: Horner Taunts Ferrari F1 While Praising Max Verstappen’s Imola GP Triumph
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez gave Red Bull and team principal Christian Horner a dream weekend at Imola. The pair finished first and second, a feat Red Bull achieved for the first time since 2016.
With incredible improvements ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Red Bull dominated the entire weekend. Although Max and Perez drove an incredible race, Horner was a nervous man until the chequered flag dropped.
Why was Max Verstappen and Perez’s outing at Imola nerve-wracking for Horner?
Even though Red Bull made improvements to the car and saw it perform incredibly, the past reliability issues kept Horner on the edge of his seat throughout the race. Especially in the last 15 laps. Charles Leclerc lost control of his car and spun at lap 54. But only the chequered flag calmed Horner down.
After the race, Horner expressed how anxious he was and, at the same time, poked fun at the Ferrari‘s porpoising issue, “My foot moved more than Charles Leclerc’s helmet.”
Formula One F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – April 24, 2022 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after winning the race alongside second place Red Bull’s Sergio Perez REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
Even though Max led the Emilia Romagna GP from the start and Perez was second, Horner wasn’t satisfied. “The problem with a race like this is that in the last 10 or 15 laps you can only lose. Then there was information about the expected time and you can see that it is easy to hit a wet curb with the wheel. It seems that those last 10 or 15 laps take forever, but it’s always a relief to see the checkered flag.” commented Horner.
Verstappen has pushed the Red Bull machine to its limits in all the races. The ones he’s finished, he’s won! These are positive signs for the team, if they can keep the car running smoothly and their engines strong.
Max Vs Lewis, still a possibility?
Christian Horner believes there’s still a fight in Lewis Hamilton. “Lewis had a horrible weekend but he hasn’t forgotten how to drive. Five races ago he was fighting for the championship. They will get that car fixed and he can still be a factor in this championship,” added the Red Bull boss.
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Horner believes that, without underestimating the competition, the team needs to keep improving and delivering every race week. And if Red Bull can work past the reliability issues, Ferrari has a real challenge on their hands.
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