Horner impressed with Verstappen: 'Remarkable final lap from Max'

Max Verstappen had to work hard to secure pole position on Saturday. Whereas for much of the season he had to battle Ferrari, this time it was Mercedes that tried to thwart him. It resulted in a remarkable final lap from Verstappen in Q3, which Christian Horner also saw.

Red Bull Racing's team boss has been through a lot with Verstappen in recent years, but the driver managed to surprise him again in Mexico. The Dutchman managed to do a lot better than George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, who all fell more than three-tenths short.

"It was a remarkable final lap from Max," Horner told Red Bull's press release. "To be the only car to dip into the 1:17s and achieve pole position by over 0.3 of a second is another fantastic drive. 2nd and 4th on the grid were covered by just under half a tenth and that sets us up for a thrilling race tomorrow."

Horner on possible tension during start

However, Horner does not expect Verstappen to simply take victory in Mexico. With Perez, Verstappen has a driver behind him who is eager for victory in his home country, while Russell and Hamilton could go for their first win of the season.

"It’s a long run down to turn 1, providing plenty of opportunity for the drivers. The crowd will no doubt also play a factor, particularly for Checo, they have been fantastic today and with his start on the 2nd row, we look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings."