Red Bull’s first win as a power unit manufacturer ‘very special’ - Verstappen

Max Verstappen says the first win for Red Bull as a power unit manufacturer is a special result, after he secured the 72nd victory of his career at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The first pole position for a Red Bull Ford Powertrains car was converted into a first win on Sunday as Verstappen fought back against the Mercedes cars after a twice-delayed start in wet conditions. Given how far off the frontrunners the team was at the start of the season, Verstappen says it is a particularly proud moment to be back on the top step in Sepang.

“Very special for us,” Verstappen said. "We had a very complicated and tough start to the year with all sorts of problems and just not being competitive enough. But throughout the year, the team has been working very hard to understand our issues and bring good performance upgrades to the car and make it more drivable.

“Step by step, we’ve been getting closer and closer, and today, and of course especially this whole weekend, we’ve been really in good form. So, yeah, it’s amazing.

“The race, of course, was quite complicated. It was not made easy for us in terms of all the calls that we had to make and then the safety car at the end, but we kept cool and we made all the right calls with the tires. So, very enjoyable to win here and also have our first victory for our own engine. It’s an incredible project with a lot of partners and a lot of people that are dedicated to be where we are now. Fantastic feeling.”

Verstappen had his father Jos present in Malaysia, and admits there was added emotion given the frustrations he had felt earlier in the year.

“We’re all very much invested in it” he said. "And, of course, my relationship with my dad, we really understand each other well from all the years that we have spent together working towards our goal in Formula 1.

“So he’s still there in the background. He’s not coming every race, but when he is there, we talk a lot about everything. He knows everything. And, also for him, I guess the beginning of the season was not nice to watch, as it was for me being in the car was not nice to drive. But then seeing how the team progressed and basically never really stopped working and really took the car and just really tried to fix the issues that we had, and then deliver something like this, it’s amazing.

“Also with the people involved, honestly, the spirit in the team is very good. Everyone is on the same line and we really understand each other well. So it’s very enjoyable to work in the team and that’s why I think also everyone is super happy that we finally delivered a result like this.”