“At that stage we didn’t know about their fuel problem. And once you are ahead here, and especially a McLaren is ahead, they are so much quicker on the straights where should we overtake them? Once they are ahead, even if they have a fuel problem, they just go around the corners slow and then on the straights they accelerate.”

The Austrian doesn’t think that McLaren have made a dramatic step forward, and says that the Istanbul straights simply suited the F-Duct. But that of course means that the next two races, which are essentially straights and slow corners, will favor McLaren more than Red Bull.

“It’s the long straights here. As soon as there are some long corners, we’re not so worried. I think Montreal will be very difficult for us, one of the most difficult circuits. Montreal and Valencia and Monza will be worrying for us.”