Red Bull ‘lost communication’ with Max in final stint

Max Verstappen wasn’t able to talk to the Red Bull pit wall in the closing stages of the Canadian GP but as, Christian Horner says, apparently he “didn’t need to”.

Verstappen battled Carlos Sainz in Sunday’s race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with the Red Bull driver seeming to have the edge. At least he did until a late Safety Car.

Deployed when Yuki Tsunoda crashed with 21 laps to go, Verstappen, who had already made his second pit stop of the afternoon, regained the lead of the race when Sainz came into the pits.

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When the race got underway with 16 laps remaining, Verstappen had track position but Sainz had tyres that were five laps fresher.

He also had a working radio, something Verstappen did not have.

“We lost communication with the car,” Horner revealed to Sky Sports. “It was one-way traffic – he could hear us but we couldn’t hear him. I guess he didn’t need to!”

Verstappen held onto take the win ahead of Sainz but it was a tense final 10 laps for the Red Bull team.

“It wasn’t comfortable at all in the last 10 laps after the VSC,” Horner said. “Max just could not break the DRS.

“The Ferrari was very quick on the straight line. They could attack the kerb and stay close.

“Carlos pushed him hard. The strategy wasn’t clear. We went for the early stop. We felt it was the best route. Then Carlos got, effectively, a free stop which set it up beautifully for the end of the race.”

Chased all the way to the line, but Max soaked up the pressure to take his sixth win of 2022! #CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/gWoiU21LQr

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 19, 2022

Verstappen’s latest win, his sixth of