'Verstappen stood head and shoulders above the rest this year'

Friends and foes tend to agree. For months, Max Verstappen got the most out of his Red Bull Racing team's car, which was by no means the fastest on the F1 grid. Yet Christian Horner would not go so far as to say it was more Verstappen than Red Bull.

After the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Horner praised Verstappen to the international media - including GPblog. But crediting him alone went too far for the team boss. "Max has been the outstanding driver, absolutely, but he's part of a team and you win as a team and you lose as a team and I think he's absolutely inspired within the cockpit and has been head and shoulders the best driver on the grid this year," Horner said.

According to Horner, 2024 was ultimately the deciding factor in the team staying in tune, despite all the outside noise. "Yes a couple of individuals have left the team moving forward, but the core of the team has been totally united and worked incredibly hard. The focus now goes into trying to improve our position in the Constructors' Championship over the last couple of races, and then obviously a lot of attention into next year's championship."

The only driver who could come even slightly close to Verstappen was Lando Norris. Horner has seen the McLaren driver turn in a handsome season. But: "Lando, since Miami, has had a faster car. You look at the win ratio, it's heavily stacked in Max's favour. So, that's taking nothing away from Lando, who's driven very well this year. But I think Max has just been that step ahead."