P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Christian Horner has detailed the Red Bull decision that could have gone badly wrong for Max Verstappen in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Christian Horner has reflected on the risky decision to have Max Verstappen attempt two push laps in the final part of qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after the Lando Norris-induced red flag stoppage. The McLaren driver’s crash left just 8:32 on the clock, making it a marginal choice between the two available options: one push lap or two. Red Bull opted to get a banker lap in, putting Verstappen in a position to best execute for a superb pole position at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Horner mentioned the uncertainty going into the qualifying session and praised Verstappen’s impressive performance under pressure. Verstappen was part of the decision-making process and successfully secured pole position by just 10 milliseconds ahead of Oscar Piastri. The strategy involved a consultation between the team and driver, emphasizing the importance of quick decision-making and execution under pressure.
