Horner: 'Of course Verstappen is under pressure, he's not a robot'

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner does not have a robot as a driver in the form of Max Verstappen, but also "just" a human being. The Brit thus dismisses suggestions that Verstappen would not feel any pressure. Horner indicated after the race at Zandvoort that the Dutchman too just feels pressure, especially in a home race, but does not think the tension will ever be too much for him.

Max Verstappen took his ninth win in a row last Sunday. He ran away with the win in his home race at Zandvoort, something he also managed to do in 2021 and 2022. To the media present, including GPblog, Horner was asked if the Dutchman also knows pressure at times. The Red Bull team boss agreed, citing a few examples from Zandvoort.

Horner: 'He's got so much expectation, and you have to feel that'

"Of course, he [Verstappen] is under pressure, otherwise he would be a robot," Horner began. "You could see in his face, he had 100,000 Dutch men and women singing the national anthem. That's a big moment for any national driver. He's got the royal family here coming to see him just before he steps in the car. He's got so much expectation, and you have to feel that." Horner thinks it was a huge relief for Verstappen when he was able to leave the circuit on Sunday night.

The team boss does not think the pressure will ever get too high for his driver, even if the tension is increasing. For that, Horner praises his team and his driver. "He's got a good team around him. He's not been overworked or overstretched this weekend. He's treated it like a normal Grand Prix weekend. He eats in the hospitality. He stays in his motorhome and just treats it as a normal Grand Prix," said the Briton.