Horner explains why Red Bull pitted Max Verstappen just before safety car came out

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has explained why the team chose to pit Max Verstappen right before the safety car at the Azerbaijan GP on Sunday.

The first half of the race was quite thrilling, featuring several overtakes and a safety car brought out by Nyck de Vries, who collided with the inside wall at turn six. While there was a yellow flag, Verstappen was told to pit, but as soon as he exited the pit lane, the safety car was deployed.

Speaking to Viaplay, Horner explained how Red Bull thought that De Vries had not touched the wall. They were unable to ascertain that, as there were no cameras on the driver, so the team asked Verstappen to pit:

"Yeah, I mean, it was a hard race between the two drivers. I think that we had (a) good pace with the two of them; they're so evenly matched today. And unfortunately, the safety car came out at just the wrong time for Max.

"We thought (Nyck) de Vries, you know, he hadn't touched a barrier or anything, not like he was going to reverse out, and there were no real cameras on it, and we could see the engine was running. So, in hindsight, you know, we could have left it a lap later, but you know, it's easy to have that (discussion) after the race."

The Red Bull team boss also appreciated winner Sergio Perez's performance in the race and how he pulled a decent gap from the rest of the pack while keeping a consistent one-second lead from his teammate. Horner said:

"Checo made it happen, and he had the pace; he pulled a gap and controlled the race from the front, so a phenomenal performance from him."

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Max Verstappen sums up his race after losing to Red Bull teammate at Azerbaijan GP

Max Verstappen couldn't win the 2023 Azerbaijan GP, as his teammate Sergio Perez kept a consistent lead.

After the race, the Dutchman expressed his thoughts on how his race went and why he was unable to catch Checo and fight him for the win. Verstappen told former world champion Damon Hill in Parc Ferme:

"Yeah, I think the safety car was a bit unlucky, and then I had to push again, and I tried to stay very close - to try and stay in the DRS, but I think the tyres were overheating a bit. Because of that, of course, trying to follow .... but of course, the balance. I was struggling to be consistent."

Verstappen (93) leads his second-placed Red Bull teammate by six points after four races. It's looking like it could be a two-horse title battle, as no other team or driver has been able to catch the leading duo, who have shared all four wins (two apiece) in 2023.