The first part of the circuit consists of eight turns, consisting mostly of a series of high-speed kinks.

In that particular area of ​​the track, Horner said, Verstappen had an advantage that eventually allowed him to pass Perez and take the win.

The Dutchman, who was red-flagged at the end of Q3, started the race from ninth before he completed his final flying lap, with Perez taking pole.

They took opposing strategies in their game, with Verstappen’s hard/medium-hard selection ultimately beating Perez’s more pronounced medium/hard selection.

Verstappen showed impressive pace throughout, especially in the middle of the race when he was on the older hard tires than Perez.

Plus: How Verstappen deployed an underrated powerhouse to beat Perez in Miami

“It’s just a pure first zone, I think (turns) 3, 4, 5 and 6,” Horner said when asked where Verstappen’s strength lies.

“Max was really good in that field. And I think the rest of the lap is important. But the first section is where Max really wreaks a lot of havoc.”

When asked to expand, Horner added: “I think it’s the way the corner sequence flows. It’s hard to pinpoint any particular area of ​​consistency.

“I think Max was on fire in that department all weekend. But it will vary from track to track.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing talks with Red Bull Racing Team principal Christian Horner

Photography: Red Bull Content Pool

Horner added that when their opposing strategies converged towards the end of the race, the two drivers kept their word and respected each other in a brief spat before Verstappen completed the inevitable overtake.

“We discussed it (Sunday) morning,” Horner said. “I said to them you are free to play, but keep it clean. And respect the team, respect each other.

“I think they did that. They played solid but fair, and they gave each other enough space and respect.”

Horner stressed that Perez was happy with his overall performance despite his loss from pole.

“Max is really good. But there’s still a long, long way to go,” he said.

“I think there are only 14 points between the two drivers, 18 races and five sprint races.

Plus: Verstappen/Red Bull dynamic showing the scale of Perez’s F1 title quest

“So there’s still a lot that could happen. I’m sure (Perez) was disappointed that it didn’t translate into a win. But he still took very valuable points.”

“I think he’s going to want to know where the jet lag is in the middle of the game,” he added.