Horner compares 2022 with 2023 season: 'This has changed'

Max Verstappen has become world champion for the third year in a row. Yet the dominance this year was on a different level, compared to the other championships. Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner does have an explanation for this.

Firstly, the car a driver has at his disposal plays a big role in his success. In 2021, there was a fascinating title fight with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. This allowed Red Bull to start developing the car for 2022 very late. Horner indicates to Sky Sports that the car in 2022 was a bit too heavy and therefore performed less than the car in 2023.

Because of the good results in 2022, the team was able to make an early start on the 2023 car. This resulted in a very dominant car.

More experience

Horner indicates about Verstappen himself that his hunger, determination and self-confidence have not changed in 2023. However, what has changed about Verstappen is his amount of experience in Formula 1 and he has deployed that experience and maturity. ''He put one mark on the front wing this year as he left the garage at Silverstone. That was the only damage he did in an entire season. The way he's able to read races, the way he's able to look after the tyres, the way he's able to be quick at the crucial moments, the pressure moments. It's been an outstanding year for him,'' Horner praised the Dutchman.