Following an uncharacteristically poor performance from Red Bull over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Christian Horner reflects on the reaction of two-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.
Off the back of the team’s worst performance of the 2023 Formula 1 season, finishing P5 and P8, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised the reaction of championship leader Max Verstappen. Fresh off a record breaking twelve Grand Prix winning streak, the Singapore Grand Prix presented the team with the now unfamiliar territory of the midfield.
Having struggled to match the pace of Ferrari all weekend, Verstappen seemed frustrated with the performance of his RB19 for the first time, particularly during qualifying, which saw him eliminated in Q2 for the first time this year. Despite this, team boss Horner praised the winning instinct of his driver.
“He’s the most competitive driver we’ve ever worked with.”
When asked if his response during qualifying lays to rest any claims that Verstappen had become bored by his own dominance, Horner vehemently denied the idea Verstappen is anything but driven to perform at the highest level.
“He cares and he wants it,” said Horner. “He’s the most competitive driver we’ve ever worked with. That’s who he is. You know when he gets in a car he’ll give you 110%, and that’s exactly what he’s done today.
“He’s just a very honest guy. He doesn’t hide his emotions and I think that he was disappointed [after qualifying] as of course the whole team was. But he brushed himself down and came back fighting today, and put in a great drive.”
“He’s got plenty of reasons to be happy with life…”
When asked about Verstappen’s overall response to the weekend, Horner claimed he remains positive and relaxed. He highlighted the champions achievements so far this season as a contributing factor to his overall positive mood in the face of difficulty.
He seemed to imply Verstappen’s maturity and ability to think bigger than just the current race also help him to remain positive despite the overall poor weekend which represents a blip on Red Bull’s otherwise perfect 2023 season.
“Look,” he replied. “He’s won ten races in a row, he’s leading the world championship by almost double the points of anybody else. So, you know, he’s got plenty of reasons to be happy with life at the moment.
“He’s clear enough in the bigger picture. He knows this was an anomaly and hopefully we can be competitive again next weekend.”
