F1 News: Horner Admits He Never Expected Verstappen to Equal Vettel’s Legacy at Red Bull

Saajan Jogia | Nov 25, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner before the Sprint Race of the Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images / Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

After Max Verstappen secured his fourth world championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Red Bull's team principal lauded his extraordinary achievement, admitting he never anticipated another four-time champion in the Milton Keynes outfit after Sebastian Vettel accomplished the feat in 2013.

Red Bull began the season strongly, with Verstappen claiming seven victories in the first ten races. However, performance waned as issues with the RB20 emerged. Compounding the challenge was Red Bull's diminishing returns amid a tighter grid, where McLaren stood out as the most consistent competitor.

Red Bull's struggles deepened as the summer break neared, culminating in the loss of its Constructors' Championship lead to McLaren and subsequently losing second place to Ferrari in Austin. Verstappen's championship hopes also came under threat from Lando Norris. However, he regained momentum at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, delivering a stunning victory from 17th on the grid and ending his winless streak that had persisted since the Spanish Grand Prix.

Horner acknowledged that no other driver on the grid was more deserving of the title than Verstappen, commending his ability to deliver results despite the challenges posed by a problematic car. Reflecting on former champion Vettel, Horner admitted he once thought he would never see another driver of such immense talent. However, with Verstappen’s fourth championship victory, he emphasized that he had never witnessed a greater hunger to win in any other driver. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, as reported by RacingNews365, he said:

"It has been a roller-coaster of a year and Max has been truly outstanding, we got off to a flying start, had a difficult summer but he just kept nailing the results.

"He's won eight grands prix, that's more than double any other driver and he's just been outstanding this year - it has been his best and hardest championship - he's shown maturity and delivered on the days when the car wasn't quite there.

"Nobody is more deserving of this championship than Max, it has been hard won and all credit goes to the men and women behind the scenes in Milton Keynes putting in tireless hours during the weeks, late nights and early starts. It has been tough. 

"When we did it with Seb, I thought we'd never repeat that, and winning in 2021 was massive, and standing here with Max having won four and joining a very elite group of champions puts him among the all-time greats.

"He has more hunger than I've ever seen in any driver, the dedication, the application and self-belief in himself makes him one of the most phenomenal drivers I've ever seen."