Red Bull doesn't know why car was 'on fire' in Austria

Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen took a deserving win in Austria but team boss Christian Horner was at a loss to explain just why the Duthcman performed so well in Spielberg.

Red Bull broke Mercedes' supremacy with a scintillating display by Verstappen who recovered from a catastrophic start to challenge and eventually overhaul race leader Charles Leclerc two laps from the checkered flag.

However, Horner admitted having been surprised by his driver's blistering pace relative to Ferrari and Mercedes in the closing stages of the race.

"In the second half of the race, we were really on fire," Horner said.

"The car was incredibly quick. The reality is that we don't fully understand why.

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"Obviously the updates we have been bringing to the car over the last couple of races have started to come together and work very well, but this race was won the hard way.

"We had to go and pass three of the four main opposition and Max did just that."

Red Bull's home win in Austria reminded everyone of Helmut Marko's bold pre-season prediction, when the Red Bull motorsport boss foresaw the Milton Keynes-based outfit winning five races this season.

That's prospect still appears remote in light of Mercedes' dominant form, its Austrian set-back notwithstanding. But Marko still sees four more wins in his crystal ball.

"You were in the press conference in Tokyo where I promised five wins," the Austrian told the media. "Some people declared me crazy or whatsoever, but I still believe we can achieve that."

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