Horner impressed: 'For Verstappen to do two laps like that...'

"It's our first ever pole position here," Horner said in a conversation with Sky Sports. "Fantastic qualifying from the team. For Max to get two laps that were good enough for pole... when it's so so close, it's a great performance."

Mercedes further away than expected

The Austrian team had expected Lewis Hamilton and Bottas to get closer. "We thought they had a little more in hand, but the temperatures have gone up a bit and that has also had an impact on the cars. It's such fine margins between these two teams [Red Bull and Mercedes]. We've just managed to get within a window, which Max is happy with," he explained.

The Red Bull team boss continued, "I was a little concerned because Lewis had one more set of tyres available in Q3. We looked at that too (to go for that strategy, ed.), but it can make you rushed for the out laps. You can't do your warm-up laps the way you want to. Max was in a good rhythm."

Red Bull want revenge on the track

"The whole team is doing an amazing job. We are getting distractions here and there, but that's Formula 1," Horner is referring to the RB16B's flexi-wings and the fact that pit stops are delayed by the FIA due to new regulations. "But how the team reacts and performs is the most important thing. We have to keep the momentum going. Everyone is working so very hard which enables results like this."