Horner admits: 'I didn't think Verstappen could hold on'

Christian Horner feared in the final stages of the Canadian Grand Prix that Max Verstappen would not be able to keep Carlos Sainz's Ferrari behind him. Under intense pressure, the championship leader managed to hold on to the lead, much to the delight of his team boss.

Horner praised the performance of his driver, who was able to put in a strong performance from the first lap in FP1. During the race, he had little to fear from title rival Charles Leclerc, who started from the back of the grid, but he did have to contend with his teammate Carlos Sainz. This made the fight for victory especially exciting in the final stages of the race.

The safety car also eliminated Verstappen's early lead. Two Virtual Safety Cars also caused a stir. "The VSCs probably came at the worst moment for him," he said on the F1 Nation podcast.

Yet Verstappen managed to keep Sainz behind him and stay clear. "He was under enormous pressure with a very fast Ferrari behind him. I didn't think he would be able to hold on," admits the Red Bull Racing team boss. "DRS is very powerful here, but he drove an incredible race and didn't make any mistakes."