Verstappen continues to amaze Horner: 'Commendable how he handles that'

Max Verstappen begins the new Formula One season as reigning world champion. Together with Red Bull Racing he has experienced many highlights, but he still manages to amaze Christian Horner. In particular, the way Verstappen handles pressure inspires awe in his team boss.

There has been a lot of buzz around the season finale in Abu Dhabi, but Horner has no doubt that overall his star driver will receive the welcome he deserves: that of a worthy world champion. "Max's popularity is going through the roof," he says in conversation with The Telegraph.

The 48-year-old Brit emphasizes that Verstappen had an exceptionally good season in 2021, in which he drove more laps in the lead than all other drivers combined. In addition, Verstappen was there at the important moments and remained faultless where it counted.

They have been through a lot together, but Verstappen still manages to amaze his team boss with regularity. "The way he dealt with the pressure is commendable," says the Red Bull team boss.

He sees Verstappen continuing to grow as a driver. In addition, he emphasizes that that first title on his resume takes a significant amount of the pressure off. In doing so, he cites the example of Sebastian Vettel, who also became world champion with Red Bull. "When he had his first championship in the bag, he was able to let go of many things more easily," Horner said.