Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner says a podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix can act as the kick-start to Max Verstappen’s season, after a difficult opening stint to 2018.
Verstappen scored only 18 points across the opening quartet of rounds amid a spate of incidents and setbacks, having clashed with Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain and Sebastian Vettel in China, before going on to collide with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in Azerbaijan.
Verstappen, though, returned to the podium for the first time since his victory at last year’s Mexican Grand Prix by rising from fifth to third at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“I think it’s been a good weekend for Max,” said Horner.
“It’s good to get his first podium on the board for him as a confidence booster, it kick-starts his season.
“I think for any sportsmen when you have a bit of a rough patch it’s always good to get a result in and get it underway.”
Verstappen sustained front wing damage when he clipped Lance Stroll’s Williams at the post-Virtual Safety Car restart and Horner expressed encouragement at the pace his driver was able to display despite the setback.
“There was initial concern that we’d have to change the nose,” he said.
“But within two sectors we had the information that it was looking okay from both the car and the data.
“Despite the damage that Max had on the front wing, which was worth a few tenths of a second, he was able to manage the gap to Sebastian [Vettel] who had five or six lap newer tyres, to the end of the race without any major issue.
“And again we saw the potential of the car with Daniel [Ricciardo] as soon as he had clear air recording the fastest laps of the race.”
Verstappen’s podium lifted him from eighth to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.
