Red Bull left pondering ‘magic’ Dutch GP question – Horner

Christian Horner believes the outcome of the Dutch Grand Prix could come down to one critical factor, with Max Verstappen starting in second, between the McLarens.

Lando Norris clinched pole position at Zandvoort, the first time Red Bull’s Dutch driver has failed to set the fastest time in qualifying there since it returned to the F1 calendar in 2021.

With Oscar Piastri starting in third, and an improved Sergio Perez lining up fifth, it looks to be a five-way fight for the podium places – with the Mercedes of George Russell.

“I think that’s going to be the magic question,” the Red Bull team principal told Viaplay when asked if Verstappen’s strength later in the lap gave him confidence the Milton Keynes squad could make its tyres hold out longer than McLaren.

“Of course, we only have 10 laps of data from [practice] for all the teams. So the question is, it is going to be hotter, is the degradation going to be higher? That’s going to be a crucial element in the race.”

Norris has struggled off the line of late, but the short run down to the first corner at Zandvoort provides Verstappen little opportunity to immediately take the lead.

It was put to Horner that Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko had asserted that McLaren’s starts are not as strong as that of the reigning constructors’ champions.

But the 50-year-old did not want to get draw on expectations for the first lap, instead turning the focus to the race on the whole.

“Yeah, but they have the clean side of the grid,” Horner replied. “It’s a short run to Turn 1. We can’t just rely on that.

“That’s one opportunity, but then, having the pace, the degradation. The strategy is not just about the start, but it would be good to get a good start tomorrow.”