Horner: 2019 Austria win tastes better than 2018

Red Bull's victory at the Austrian Grand Prix last Sunday tasted better than its win in Spielberg 12 months ago, according to team principal Christian Horner.

The energy drink squad took its second consecutive home race win with Max Verstappen, but Horner says that it won this time around "the hard way" rather than benefiting from the struggles and failures of its rivals in 2018.

"The second half of the race, we were really on fire," Horner said. "The car was incredibly quick. The reality is we probably don't fully understand why. 

"But the updates that we've been bringing to the car over the last couple of races have really started to come together and work well.

"This race as won the hard way, we had to pass three of the four main opposition and Max did that. It tastes even better than last year."

Leclerc overtake tough, close racing

Verstappen's race-clinching overtake on Charles Leclerc was analysed by the stewards after the race, however, no penalty was awarded.

Horner called the incident tough racing, and added that there was never any speculation in his mind that the team would get a penalty.

"He was just in much better shape than Charles at the end of the race," Horner said. "He passed him once into Turn 3 at the top of the hill but didn't get the traction out of the corner and then Charles was able to drag back past.

"The next lap he got the move done and it was close racing. He'd won the competition in the braking area, there was a touch as Charles in. But it was good tough racing. 

"He was ahead he got to the apex first and it was checkmate. Then it was a question of getting his head down and pulling away.

"To win here, a Red Bull car in Austria, to get Honda's first victory as well since 2006 in the style and manner that he did, it was the perfect day."