The Promotion

Shortly after the season began, there were complaints of detrimental handling effects due to the higher Pirelli-mandated tire pressures on some cars, specifically Toro Rosso. Verstappen publicly mentioned that, at times, his car felt undrivable from lack of grip and sliding. Taking this statement as endorsed by Red Bull management, and acknowledging the combination of the cost of making significant changes to the Toro Rosso’s suspension and damping and their joy with Verstappen, Red Bull saw their long-term solution. They would pull Verstappen from Toro Rosso, where they weren’t getting the best he had to offer in an inferior car and put in him the higher downforce, better engineered, but poorly driven Red Bull of Kvyat.

Result: More points, a locked-in-place Verstappen that would prevent him escaping to a future Ferrari / Mercedes overture, and an earlier chance for Verstappen to get used to the team who will “own him for a long time”.

A pre-emptive move on several different levels… Christian Horner’s call now looks like genius.