According to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, Red Bull and Ferrari fought a battle to the limit during the GP of Italy. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz went all out and Verstappen used one of Carlos Sainz’s weaknesses to pass him.
During fourteen laps Carlos Sainz managed to hold off Max Verstappen, but in the end Carlos Sainz made a mistake while braking before the chicane. This allowed Verstappen to come alongside in the Curva Grande and pass Sainz in the Della Roggia chicane.
When Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was asked whether Verstappen had adopted a somewhat wait-and-see attitude, Horner stated that this was not the case at all and that there was a fierce battle.
“We went flat out, we were pushing incredibly hard and the Ferraris were also fighting hard, it was a serious fight,” said Horner. “Max is very smart in a situation like that, he was pushing Carlos to exploit one of his weaknesses, he had to ask a lot from his tyres.”
He came close a few times in the first corner and finally managed to pass Sainz.”
According to Horner, Red Bull and Verstappen have been able to make good use of the very hot temperatures and the fact that the Ferrari F1 car demands more from its tires.
“Ferrari were very, very fast on the straights and I think Max could see they were asking a bit more of their rear tyres,” said Horner. “That was part of our strategy in terms of the setup we chose. We knew the temperature would be a bit higher.”