Horner: “Pierre is clearly in one of the most exposed seats”

What are its strengths and areas for improvement?

Pierre knew how to show tenacity when things did not go his way. His natural speed is evident, there is no doubt about it. He just lacks a little experience.

At what point does the walk between Toro Rosso et Red Bull is it high?

She is huge. All of a sudden, you find yourself in the spotlight, media like you who will compare your performances to those of one of the stars of the F1 current, Max Verstappen. This is an immense challenge for Pierre to take on, but I am convinced that he has the right mentality to succeed and he will be able to count on the support of the team.

How can he cope with the Verstappen whirlwind?

He just has to ignore the commotion around and not pay too much attention to what his teammate is doing. He must try to learn from Max because the latter has much more experience. Pierre must concentrate on himself and follow his own methods since they allowed him to get to where he is today.

What can the team do to avoid reliving a situation similar to that experienced by Daniil Kvyat after his rise to Red Bull?

Pierre was probably promoted 12 months earlier than expected but that’s how life is. He has a fantastic opportunity, it’s his turn to jump on it. I am convinced that he has the means to do it. Everyone wants to be in the game right away in F1 where everything is analyzed, dissected and commented on.

As a stable, we must provide him with the right tools and do everything to place him in the best possible environment while he gets into the swing of things. But Pierre is clearly in one of the most exposed seats now.

Why did you choose to move him up the Red Bull hierarchy compared to a boy like Carlos Sainz ?

It was an obvious decision because his talent is just as obvious. We knew that Pierre was the best candidate to replace Daniel Ricciardo. We came to this conclusion very quickly.

What goals have you set for him for this season? What would a successful campaign be in your eyes?

He is still very young in F1 in terms of experience. It will depend on his performance compared to his teammate. If he manages to be close to Max, score a lot of points and get on the podium, that would already represent good progress compared to last year.

Was his experience with Honda useful to you this winter?

It’s a small advantage but nothing decisive, let’s be honest. Afterwards, this gives him a good base of knowledge and information. He knows the strengths and weaknesses and can guide the engineers on these questions.