Horner: "Sometimes it's overlooked what Max can do with less power"

He therefore finds it frustrating that the stewards' judgement, which many say is not always consistent, is causing confusion. "Some incidents get punished, some go unpunished. Max does tend to get the harsher verdict, particularly when you look back at the weekend," Horner said in conversation with The Times.

Horner disagrees with Hamilton

Hamilton, who expressed frustration with his rival several times during the race, claimed Verstappen was slowing down deliberately when he was right behind him, with the stewards agreeing with his assessment. Horner, however, takes a different view. "Lewis was desperately trying to avoid overtaking Max, who had been instructed to let him pass by the stewards, or by the race director and therefore by the team," he explained.

As a result, the Red Bull team boss believes Hamilton is using questionable tactics. "I think it's the first time this season that Lewis didn't want to overtake Max," argues the Briton, who sees his driver making the biggest difference in the title fight. "That’s mainly down to Max. I don’t think enough credit has been given to him, the way he has driven."

Red Bull thanks performance to Verstappen

At Mercedes, Horner sees the car making a bigger difference than the driver, providing Hamilton with a subtle stab in the dark. "We often see very little difference between Valtteri and Lewis, same with Nico Rosberg. Max has wrung every ounce of performance out of this car this year and he has kept us in this championship. Sometimes that gets overlooked, what he is able to achieve in a car with less horsepower and less performance than his rival," Horner said.