Early chief Verstappen was introduced into the pits on lap 10 of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after beginning to battle together with his rear tyres and being put underneath stress by team-mate Sergio Perez.
Moments earlier than the choice AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries had stopped on observe after clipping the wall in Flip 5 and because the security automobile was introduced out, the transfer backfired on Pink Bull.
With Verstappen having dropped to 3rd, Perez and Ferrari man Charles Leclerc managed to make low cost pitstops and keep forward of the Dutchman.
Whereas the world champion made quick work of passing Leclerc on the following restart, the timing of the pitstop meant Perez was handed a transparent run to victory, which he duly brought home with a measured performance.
Questions had been raised on why Pink Bull would determine to pit Verstappen realizing there was a stationary automobile on observe, particularly on a slender road circuit of Baku the place security automobiles interventions are quite a few.
“On the time we determined to pit Max as a result of he was beginning to battle a little bit bit with the rears of his automobile and Checo was clearly proper up behind him,” mentioned Horner.
“So, we determined from a technique perspective it was the optimum time to take the cease.”
Within the quick snapshot obtainable of De Vries’ stationary automobile, Pink Bull hadn’t noticed that the AlphaTauri suffered terminal injury as a result of the Dutchman had clipped the within Flip 5 wall and bent his front-left nook.
“From the glimpse that we obtained, all 4 wheels had been on the automobile, he hadn’t hit the barrier and the engine was working,” Horner added.
Nyck de Vries, AlphaTauri AT04, retires from the race
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“It seemed like he’d choose reverse and keep on, so that you’d by no means anticipated that to go to a security automobile.
“Normally, in the event you see a automobile within the boundaries right here it is a security automobile, however there was no signal of it.
“It was solely subsequently on the replays that you simply had been in a position to see his observe rod was damaged.”
Pink Bull even thought-about bringing in Perez as nicely for a double cease to keep away from being undercut by Leclerc.
“Clearly, with 20/20 imaginative and prescient you’ll have simply executed yet one more lap and go from there,” he added. “However you simply do not know at that time whether or not Charles goes to pit after which he out of the blue he jumps each of them.
“We had been a one stage had been speaking about gearing up for a double cease. It was a kind of issues that generally you get fortunate and generally you do not.”
After an uneventful closing stint on onerous tyres Perez and championship chief Verstappen secured Pink Bull’s third 1-2 of the season, with Perez closing the hole to Verstappen to 6 factors.
