In what would be his last post-race print media session in his capacity as Red Bull boss, Christian Horner shared his views on Yuki Tsunoda’s race marked by a ‘harsh’ penalty and Nico Hülkenberg’s sensational first F1 podium at the British GP.
After a troubled Friday, Red Bull experienced an upward trend on Saturday with Max Verstappen taking pole in Qualifying for the British GP and Yuki Tsunoda coming in at a respectable 11th place despite engine issues.
However, on Sunday, the rain picked up and caused issues for the Red Bull Driver, who had opted for a setup geared towards dry conditions.
Tsunoda, who had started at the cusp of points, struggled in tricky conditions and ultimately crossed the finish line in the 15th and last position.
To top it all off, Tsunoda picked up a 10-second penalty after a collision with Haas’s Ollie Bearman.
Horner on Tsunoda’s race and penalty
Speaking to the media following the conclusion of the British GP, former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described the Japanese driver’s race as ‘difficult’.
Horner felt that the penalty handed to Tsunoda for the incident with Bearman was ‘harsh’ as he viewed it as a racing incident.
“Yuki’s race, unfortunately, he picked up a ten-second penalty, which I thought was quite harsh, but it is what it is.
“For me, that was kind of a racing incident.
“His problems were the same as Max’s in the damp conditions, and when you’re running in dirty air, it makes it incredibly difficult.”
Red Bull hoped for a dry race, but the rain hindered their performance.
However, as the track dried towards the end, they showcased improved pace.
Horner thus believes that Tsunoda could have scored points in the British GP if the track had remained dry.
“Again, I think in normal dry conditions he would have scored points today, but we didn’t have a normal race.”
Hülkenberg finally on the podium
While Tsunoda experienced a race to forget, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg scored his career’s best finish.
The German driver, who started from P19, delivered a stunning drive in his 239th race and finally claimed his first F1 podium.
Horner congratulated Hülkenberg, noting that it was ‘good’ to see him finally claim a podium at the British GP.
“So, I have to congratulate Nico Hülkenberg after all his years of trying to get a podium today.”
“It was good to see him get a podium.”
Over the years, commentators have frequently mentioned Hülkenberg as a potential candidate for a Red Bull seat.
After achieving his first podium finish at the British GP, Red Bull’s former team principal Christian Horner dodged a question about signing Hülkenberg, stating that he was ‘happy’ for the German to be on the podium..
“Look, I was very pleased for him to get the podium.”
