Horner: Verstappen understands decision for pit stop
General
Christian Horner has been explaining the decision to pit Max Verstappen when they did in the Styrian Grand Prix. The Dutchman was initially puzzled with the decision but Horner revealed he now understands the reason why.
“I think if we had pitted later, they’d have pitted earlier," Horner explains to GP Blog among others.
"So the problem is if they have a faster car [Mercedes] and you only have one car to play with at that point in the race, you need to bank track position or you concede it. We chose to retain track position by pitting and then Bottas was instructed to stay out.
“He was obviously instructed to close up to put him in a position for an undercut. So you’re in this situation where you have to make a choice. You either concede the position or you keep track position and try to tough it out in the second half of the race.”
Verstappen understands the decision
In the end the speed of the RB16 proved to be insufficient for Verstappen to keep Bottas behind him. Horner explained that Verstappen understands that there was no other possibility.
"Not at all. And Max, he fully understood. If you have a quicker car with longer range. Those options to either go longer or shorter, it doesn’t really matter what you do."