Horner sinks knife deeper in McLaren after Imola GP win

18:33, 18 May

Updated: 22:52, 18 May

byNorberto Mujica

Red Bull's and Max Verstappen's win at Imola not as big of a surprise for team principal Christian Horner, as McLaren's lack of performance.

Speaking to media like GPblog after the race, Horner admits to not being surprised by Red Bull's pace, but rather by McLaren's lack thereof. "We were sort of more surprised about McLaren's probably lack of performance."

"We definitely got the car into a very good window yesterday. Max was certainly very positive about the balance and being able to lean on the rear of the car."

"So that was certainly a positive and then that carried through it and he certainly felt taking that into the race would just [put the car] in a better balance window. So that proved to be the case."

Horner on Verstappen's decisive move into Turn 2 and Red Bull's better tyre deg

A key moment in the race was Verstappen's overtake around the outside on Piastri at the start of the race. Horner explains how he viewed the daring race manoeuvre.

"The start was pretty average. It was the first corner and I think maybe Oscar was more focused on Russell and he left the slightest of gaps and Max just sent it and it was kind of win it or bin it."

"Again, he's just so good in that situation where he just sees a gap and it's so decisive for him. But thereafter, we just had the pace to pull out a gap. We had the margin on tyre deg (degradation, ed.) that we could see were in a bit better shape than the McLaren's."

Regardless of the two neutralisations, Horner saw a full-in-control Verstappen, and was confident on the Dutchman bringing home the win for the Austrian team on their 400th Grand Prix in F1.

"But at all times, Max, he had the pace, he was able to respond, he never felt that we were under pressure from behind. So yeah, a great performance."