“It was a masterclass from Max,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner Sky Sports F1. Max Verstappen had to start from P17 after a disappointing qualifying and a five-place grid penalty, but managed to make the difference on the wet Autódromo José Carlos Pace. “In these kinds of conditions the drivers’ skills really shine through. He was in a class of his own today. As a team we made all the right decisions and we had great pace in the car. It was an excellent race from 17th, after everything had gone against us in the morning. But he turned the tide.” In the opening lap, Verstappen already made up six places, which can count on Horner’s admiration. “It was an incredible performance from him,” he praises his driver. “This was one of his best [races] ever.”
Thanks to the victory and the fastest race lap – and the poor race of pole sitter Lando Norris – Verstappen is doing good business in the championship. Verstappen’s lead over the McLaren driver is 62 points with three race weekends to go, with a maximum of 86 remaining after this race. “This is an important day for the drivers’ championship,” says Horner. “I never expected us to win here. It would have been a great result even if we had come close to the podium. This was an excellent race from him. He was patient, attacked when he had to and restarted … He came from so far away. A truly beautiful race from him.”
More lively
Horner then goes further by stating that Verstappen is ‘the best in the world’ at the moment, whether it is a dry or wet track. “It took a while,” he admits. Verstappen’s last victory came on June 23, when he won the Spanish Grand Prix. “But the team worked incredibly hard and we fought our way back to a winning position. This is the result of the work that goes on behind the scenes in Milton Keynes. No one gives up, and we didn’t do that today.”
After qualifying, Verstappen was still clearly dissatisfied, but on the podium his smile didn’t seem to get any bigger. Horner also noted that the championship leader was considerably ‘livelier’ after this victory. “You can see that it means a lot to him,” says the team boss. “It had also been a long time since we won.”
It also became clear again on Sunday that Red Bull mainly relies on Verstappen among the constructors. Teammate Sergio Pérez spun on the opening lap and did not score a single point in eleventh place. “Max is invaluable,” Horner continues his series of compliments to Verstappen. “This was a championship ride. We all know there are great drivers, but to stand out in a race like today… That puts him among the greats. He never gave up and always thought about the points, even though he had a hard time with the car this season. He always tries to get the most out of the car,” Horner concludes.
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