Horner explains why Perez's race engineer was next to Verstappen on the Suzuka podium

The Brit has been heard many times over the Red Bull Racing team radio as a race engineer, most recently taking that role while Perez was still a part of the Austrian team.

However, since the Mexican departed at the end of the 2024 season, Bird moved onto a different role at Red Bull, becoming the Suspension Group Team Leader for the 2025 season.

It's a position which means Bird is not required to be at every Grand Prix for the 2025 season, but at Suzuka, the Brit was present, and he took to the podium to receive the constructors' trophy after Max Verstappen's victory at the third race of the season.

When asked about Bird stepping onto the podium alongside Verstappen, Horner said: "Hugh Bird has stepped into a new role within Vehicle Dynamics. He's been doing a super job within the factory. He stood in for Tom Hart, who couldn't be here this weekend, so he was back on the keyboard in a role that he fulfilled five years ago."

It was a fantastic moment for the Brit to stand up on the podium at the iconic Suzuka circuit, especially after a difficult period, Horner explained: "I think the last 12 months he came in for a lot of criticism, and he's an important member of our team. So I thought it was right that he represented us today and collected the trophy."