Key takeaways from Verstappen-dominated Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Bull team principal Christian Horner believes that while Max Verstappen is currently leading in Formula One, the team is not solely dependent on him.
Following another dominant one-two finish by Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Horner emphasized that the team’s success is a collective effort, highlighting that no individual, not even a triple world champion like Verstappen, is bigger than the team.
In another highlight of the weekend, British teenager Oliver Bearman secured points in his F1 debut with Ferrari, adding to the thrilling narrative of the race weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Reflecting on the eventful race weekend, here are the three key takeaways from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:
RED BULL’S FUTURE
Red Bull’s under-pressure team boss chose to attack as the best form of defense when he sought to regain control of the narrative
and Verstappen’s future in the aftermath of his 56th career win.
Seeking to move the focus after weeks of being the center of attention himself, the 50-year-old Briton, who had been cleared of inappropriate conduct toward a female
colleague by an internal investigation, proclaimed Red Bull’s unified power.
“It’s like anything in life; you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper,” said Horner, responding to Verstappen’s veiled threat to leave the team if his mentor Helmut Marko was suspended or removed.
“If somebody didn’t want to be on this team, then you know, we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here. That applies whether it’s a machine operator, designer, or somebody in one of the support functions; it runs through the business.”
“No individual is bigger than the team. We listen to whatever Max says, but the team will always make the right decisions for the team.”
Oliver Bearman’s cool, good humor and controlled speed at the wheel made him the star of the show and a winner for both Ferrari and Netflix, the makers of the successful “Drive to Survive” fly-on-the-wall series, as well as Formula One.
The 18-year-old’s talent and personality were the perfect antithesis to the Red Bull saga and raised a smile of admiration across the paddock.