Max Verstappen’s fifth retirement in seven races was made even more frustrating by team-mate Daniel Ricciardo’s fifth podium of the 2017 Formula One season, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Verstappen was caught up in an opening lap incident where Fernando Alonso crashed into him after being hit by Daniil Kvyat. Both Verstappen and Alonso were forced to retire from the race.
It’s the fifth time this season Verstappen has failed to finish the race. Mechanical problems have been the cause more often than not. Engine, brake, and battery problems have all directly caused retirements, whilst a clutch problem contributed to Austria’s early exit. Meanwhile, Ricciardo is fighting at the front of the field and has more than twice as many points as Verstappen.
“It’s massively tough for him,” Horner said. “But he will come through it as a stronger character.
“There’s times in a grand prix driver’s career where you forget how young he is. He’s taking it all on the chin and of course that’s especially hard when he’s seeing the other car get the podiums that he feels he should be achieving.
“But it will come right for him. He’s performing at such a high level that I think, when it does come right he could quite easily win three races in a row.”
Horner also praised Ricciardo’s drive. Ricciardo was under pressure from Lewis Hamilton late in the race but held off the championship contender to finish 1.4s ahead.
“He’s great under pressure,” Horner said. “I mean, there was a huge amount of pressure and he’s driving qualifying laps at the end there.
“He knew he had to make the time in the middle sector to buy himself a little bit of distance coming onto the start-finish straight. It was just zero mistakes. To get his fifth podium in a row, it’s quite remarkable.
“It’s very easy to go in too deep, lock a brake up and then the other car gets the undercut, but he judged it perfectly. He picked his braking point, he nailed the apex, and that gave Lewis nowhere to go.”
