Horner warns Lewis: “Max has never been stronger”
The Red Bull boss Christian Horner considers that his driver Max Verstappen has never been as strong as he is now. And does not hesitate to make it clear that his team is ready for the final season's battle.
On the eve of the first free practice sessions on the brand new Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia, Red Bull boss Christian Horner is adamant: his driver Max Verstappen is at the top of his game as the final two races of this long and exciting 2021 season approach.
With an 8-point lead over his rival Lewis Hamilton in the championship, the Dutchman can be crowned champion as early as this Sunday evening on the shores of the Red Sea. And even if he fails in this quest, Horner will especially remember the maturity shown by his driver: “Fighting for his first title in F1 is a very intense moment in a career. But the maturity that Max has shown throughout this campaign has been extremely impressive,” he told the Red Bull website. “He is relaxed and handles the pressure incredibly well. He has never driven as well.”
It is true that the 2021 Verstappen has somewhat set aside the Verstappen of the early years when his impetuosity and aggressiveness attracted criticism from some fans and other drivers. Horner adds: “A good example of this evolution is his race in Qatar. When he realised he could not beat Lewis, he said on the radio that he just wanted to have fun.”
Regarding the championship fight, the Englishman still wants to believe in both titles: “Fighting for both championships is exactly what we are working so hard for. Max has an 8-point lead in the drivers’ standings and we are only 5 points behind in the constructors’. We want to fight for the titles. And even though this year is very intense, pressure is something we know how to handle,” he said on the Red Bull website.
In this battle against Mercedes, Horner specifies that the Austrian team knows how to behave: “With experience, we now know how to focus on important things and those we can control, especially when the stakes are so high.” He adds: “I really enjoyed this championship. It’s a phenomenal season. We perform at our best when under pressure. Off the track, there are some distractions. But when the lights go out, everything else is insignificant.”
