F1 News
Horner on Verstappen's brazilian masterclass: 'A champion’s drive'
- Savannah Lenz
Max Verstappen's performance at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix will go down in history as one of the most important wet-weather races. Much like the greats of Michael Schumacher or Aryton Senna, Verstappen showed off his pure skill and talent when he won after starting from P17 in sub-optimal weather.
The 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix was the turning point of the drivers' championship battle. Despite Verstappen never losing the lead, Lando Norris became enough of a challenger to shake up the grid. Verstappen and Norris swapped race leads and positions many times during the season, but Verstappen's performance in Brazil alone solidified him as a four-time world champion.
Verstappen hailed as one of the greats
Verstappen is known for his ability to drive in horrible weather, and according to Horner, the race in Brazil put him on another level. "I think in the wet and the dry, he's the best in the world at the moment." Regarding the fight for the championship and the work the team has done to retain the drivers' lead, "It's been a while, but I think the whole team have really kept their heads and worked incredibly hard. We've fought ourselves back into a winning position, and that's a testament to the effort that goes on behind the scenes back in Milton Keynes that nobody ever gives up. We've demonstrated that today".
As their number-one driver for many years now, Verstappen means a lot to Red Bull Racing. Horner says, "I think Max is invaluable, and it's impossible to put a number on that. That was a champion’s drive." He continued, "There are some great drivers out there, as we well know, but to stand out and shine like that today marks him out with some of the greats now the way he's driven."
Verstappen has talked about how hard the season was for himself and the team, but he didn't give up. Horner shares that sentiment. "Even when we had a difficult car this year, he's never given up. He's gone about collecting the points. He's always trying to get maximum out of the car."
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!