Christian Horner claims Max Verstappen could’ve been a contender if not for the safety car, says it ‘killed’ Red Bull’s race

Max Verstappen missed out on a podium for the first time this season at Singapore GP.

Christian Horner claims Max Verstappen could’ve been a contender if not for the safety car, says it ‘killed’ Red Bull’s race

Max verstappen, Sergio Perez and Christian Horner (Via IMAGO)

At the Singapore Grand Prix, Max Verstappen encountered one of his toughest races this season after ending up in P5. It was his first finish other than P1 since race four of the season. Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner attributed this result to the impact of the safety car, which he believed had a significant effect on their chances of securing a podium.

Verstappen recently made history by breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories at the Italian Grand Prix. Despite leading the drivers’ championship, Verstappen’s remarkable streak of ten straight wins was ended by his former teammate Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver started on the pole and his strategic masterclass helped him to earn the win.

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The mid-race deployment of the safety car disrupted Verstappen’s strategy. After making their pit stop for medium tires, they found themselves at the back of the pack. Verstappen made an impressive recovery to fifth place but narrowly missed out on fourth place as Charles Leclerc maintained his position. Acknowledging their loss, Christian Horner claimed that the safety car killed redbulls chances for podium position.

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“For us, the SC couldn’t have come at the worst time, that really killed any chance of getting into contention, but Max’s pace at the end, and Checo coming back through as well, it was a very strong performance. We learned a lot in the race,..,, going to Suzuka, a different type of circuit, hopefully we can be competitive there,” said Christian Horner.

Discover: Max Verstappen blames ‘bad luck’ for underwhelming Singapore GP finish

Max Verstappen expresses frustration with the unfortunate timing of the Safety Car

Following a challenging race, Max Verstappen attributes their performance to bad luck. Verstappen, who initially qualified in 11th place for the Singapore GP, finished in 4th place by the race’s conclusion.

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Redbull (Credits: PlanetF1)

Max Verstappen acknowledged that their race pace matched Ferrari’s during the Singapore GP but couldn’t fully grasp their potential. Despite a challenging weekend in Singapore, Verstappen expressed confidence in Red Bull’s performance for the upcoming Suzuka GP in Japan.

“We had some bad luck with the Safety Car as well,…I was on old tyres, so there’s not much you can do. I think we will be quick in Suzuka,” said Max Verstappen.

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