During the race, McLaren lost the lead to Verstappen when Logan Sargeant’s car got stuck, causing a safety car stop. But Horner doesn’t think this was the most important moment for his team to win.
He thinks the crucial moment happened later when drivers changed to slick tires. Norris, from McLaren, decided to stay on the wet tires longer than others. At first, his decision seemed good because the wet tires were still faster. But then, when he finally changed to slicks, he couldn’t drive well because the track was still wet in some parts. Verstappen passed him and took the lead.
Horner said if Norris had changed tires one lap earlier, things might have been different because Verstappen’s tires wouldn’t have been ready.
Horner said, “I thought we were doing well when the track started to dry. We were keeping a good gap, and then it was about changing tires at the right time because the first part of the track was still wet. When you come out of the pits, your tires lose a lot of heat.”
“I felt like we made the right decision, changing to medium tires. Lando had a 20-second lead, but each lap made his tires warmer. I was surprised they didn’t change his tires after one lap. They waited for two, and that was crucial. Verstappen had more time to make his tires ready. So, when Lando changed his tires, Verstappen could drive faster and got a three-second lead in the first part of the track. That timing was crucial.”
Horner admitted that before this, McLaren looked like they might win because Norris was faster when the track was wet. “We were doing well in the wet conditions. Then, as the track started to dry, we couldn’t keep up with George, and Lando passed us easily. It looked like McLaren would win. Then, there was a safety car, and we changed our strategy and got in a better position.”
