Red Bull boss reveals key to Max Verstappen's win over McLaren at the F1 Imola GP

Red Bull boss Christian Horner revealed that the key to Max Verstappen's win over McLaren at the F1 Imola GP was the new upgrades, as the car was not sliding anymore, hence it was easier to manage temperatures. These improvements helped the team keep the tires in the working window longer and win the race.

The F1 Imola GP was a bit of a surprise for everyone, especially because it came after the race in Miami, where McLaren walloped the entire grid. In the American race, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were more than half a minute clear of everyone in the field, thanks to the stunning tire degradation of the car, which meant every rival was not operating at the same level.

More or less the same was expected at the F1 Imola GP, where the temperatures were high with a softer tire compound at play. There was one difference, however, that Red Bull brought an upgrade to the car, which helped the Austrian team manage its tires better. While Max Verstappen was unable to secure pole, once he jumped to the lead, there was nothing stopping him.

The driver was never in trouble with Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris throughout the race and cruised to a win. Talking to the media, including PlanetF1, Red Bull's Christian Horner shared that one of the keys to his win was that the upgrades helped increase the working window with the car. He said:

“I think, definitely, we’ve managed to put some performance on the car and to get the car into a better window. As soon as you take away the sliding, you’re able to manage the temperature a lot better. That was really encouraging. I think the first stint was really encouraging because we could see that he was managing more than the guys behind, so he was driving very smartly and still pulling out a gap."

Max Verstappen could manage the Red Bull in the free air without much issue

The race saw Max Verstappen jump Oscar Piastri for the lead just as it began, and from that point onwards, it was all about the Dutch driver maintaining the advantage. While the McLaren driver was unable to keep up, pitting for an undercut worked against him as well.

Verstappen was then able to extend his stint with Norris around 10 seconds behind him, but the gap remained more or less the same. After the virtual safety car period, the Red Bull driver could manage his race and take the win. Looking back at the race, the Dutch driver said:

“That’s always a happy place to be in. So you get the longevity. It’s the first time in quite a while that we’ve been in that position. So then the next stint was really about bringing the tyre in gently and not thrashing it. Likewise, the final stint was a straight, 10-lap race to the end and he was able to really get the hammer down."

Max Verstappen closed the gap in the championship to Oscar Piastri after Imola and is now only 22 points behind the Australian.