Horner sees Mercedes making room in pit lane: 'That was fair of them'

"A race like that is never easy. The most important thing was to get the start. We knew what strategic options Mercedes had. They were going to split and they did," Horner said after the Dutch GP.

Overtaking Bottas crucial

What was the most crucial moment of the afternoon for Verstappen? "The most important part was to pass Valtteri and he did that quickly," said the top man about regaining the lead in the race. "After that, we were able to cover Lewis. But that Bottas would hold us up so Hamilton could do an undercut was our main concern."

The pit lane at Zandvoort is very narrow, but Mercedes offered some help to Red Bull. "The entry is very short, but it was fair of Mercedes that they removed the hoses so we could get a run into our box," Horner told Sky Sports of the big rival's pit crew in both world championships.

Perez's performance outstanding

The performance of Sergio Perez also comes up for discussion. The Mexican finished eighth. "He drove a great race today. He had to pit early for safety reasons, he had a big flat spot. But this is good for his confidence after a tough Saturday, it's important points for the team."