Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expects Ferrari to be strong during the US GP main race on Sunday after they were very impressive during the sprint race on Saturday. Carlos Sainz beat McLaren’s Lando Norris to P2, while Charles Leclerc finished in P4.
While Horner expects Ferrari to be strong, he was also happy to see the way Max Verstappen controlled the race from start to finish. As a result, it seems that Horner may not have much to worry about.
Formula1.com quoted the Briton as saying, “Ferrari will be strong tomorrow, but the encouraging thing is that Max managed his tires well and he still had performance left in them. It was a great performance from him.”
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS #F1SPRINT IN AUSTIN #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/LORW3UG2HE
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2024
However, one thing that seemed could be of concern to Red Bull is their tire wear, something the McLaren strategists noticed during the sprint race. That seemed a worry until Verstappen proved them wrong by extending his lead throughout the 19-lap sprint race.
Instead, it were Norris’ tires that wore off towards the end of the race, resulting in him losing a place to Sainz on the final lap. As for Verstappen, this was the first time since the 2024 Spanish GP he won an F1 event.
Verstappen builds an advantage over Norris in the championship battle
Coming into the sprint race, Verstappen held a 52-point lead over the #4 driver. But his race win and Norris’ P3 means he’s extended his lead to 54 points, with only 173 points left to battle for till the end of the season.
This came despite concerns over the #1 driver’s tire management. Horner’s assessment of the Dutchman’s race proves that he’s gotten the RB20 back into the right window for balance and tire conservation.
As for Norris, his day may get even trickier as the FIA has placed him under investigation for his incident with Leclerc on the last lap of the race. Norris’ aggressive defense of P3 might lead to him getting a time penalty that may drop him further down the order. If that is the case, Norris’ title ambitions might crumble even before the GP begins on Sunday.
