Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

Will Mercedes stop its drivers fighting now with Hamilton chasing?

Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya GP
Will Mercedes stop its drivers fighting now with Hamilton chasing?

Honda reveals new MotoGP team manager as Puig steps down

MotoGP
Honda reveals new MotoGP team manager as Puig steps down

Can Formula E's nearly man finally get his crown?

Feature
Formula E
Can Formula E's nearly man finally get his crown?

Why Leclerc must act now to avoid becoming Ferrari’s number two

Feature
Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya GP
Why Leclerc must act now to avoid becoming Ferrari’s number two

Guidotti joins Trackhouse as MotoGP team manager with immediate effect

MotoGP
Czech GP
Guidotti joins Trackhouse as MotoGP team manager with immediate effect

From overturned penalties to power unit rules, F1 can't stop itself from opening Pandora's box

Feature
Formula 1
From overturned penalties to power unit rules, F1 can't stop itself from opening Pandora's box

Obituary: Dick Barbour, the team boss who ran Paul Newman at Le Mans

General
Obituary: Dick Barbour, the team boss who ran Paul Newman at Le Mans

Mercedes granted FIA hearing over Russell's Monaco GP penalty

Formula 1
Mercedes granted FIA hearing over Russell's Monaco GP penalty

Horner: Verstappen needs to stop making errors after Monaco crash

Red Bull boss Christian Horner says that Max Verstappen "needs" to stop making mistakes, after the Dutchman blew his chances in the Monaco Grand Prix with a practice crash

With Red Bull's car in a class of its own around the streets of Monte Carlo, Verstappen had looked set for a thrilling battle with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo for pole position.

But Verstappen crashed at the end of FP3 - damaging his car and putting him out of qualifying after the team discovered a problem with the gearbox late on - he will start from the back of the grid as a result.

Horner admitted the situation was especially frustrating because Red Bull was so quick but, after several high-profile incidents in 2018, he thinks the time has come for Verstappen to learn his lesson.

"This place bites," Horner told Channel 4. "He got bitten pretty hard today in a session that doesn't really count for anything other than setting the car up.

"He is in a car that is capable of winning this grand prix and that will hurt him even more.

"You don't get that many opportunities to win a Monaco GP. He needs to learn from it, and stop making these errors. He knows that more than anybody.

"I think it was a pretty painful qualifying from him, watching what could have been."

When asked if there was a chance that the Monaco practice error would ram home the point that Verstappen needs to change his approach, Horner said: "I hope so. I don't know what else will.

"We have a great car. He is a phenomenally fast driver and would have been competing for the pole position today.

"For the whole team with such a strong car to be only be running one legged is frustrating.

"But I have to complement all the guys in the garage, with both car crews doing their best to get him out in that session, but unfortunately that wasn't to be."

Verstappen's failure to make it out in time for qualifying came after it emerged shortly before the session got underway that there was a problem with his gearbox.

Horner explained that it was only when the car was fired up following the earlier repairs that the issue was discovered.

"The car was fired up and we saw the oil leak in the gearbox, which had been hidden by a shroud, and that was it," he said.

Previous article Fernando Alonso's F1 set-up changes in Monaco 'like tossing a coin'
Next article Red Bull's Monaco F1 advantage enough to not overdrive - Ricciardo

Top Comments

Latest news