Max Verstappen Red Bull An Interview with Christian Horner
CREDIT: Getty Images/Mark Thompson

Max Verstappen: Red Bull’s Driven Force Unveiled

13/01/2024

Christian Horner explained how Max Verstappen operates within the Red Bull team, sometimes leading the Dutch driver to behave in an authoritative manner. The director shares how his driver translates his demands on himself and his team.

“Max, as a person, is just a very nice 26-year-old young man,” Horner said. “Verstappen is passionate about his racing and is not comfortable with the level of fame or recognition he has today.”

“He just wants to do his job and drive a car to its limits; he is very, very straightforward and very honest. He enjoys spending time with his PlayStation when he’s not in a racing car. So, outside the car, he’s quite a gentle character.”

“In the car, he’s ruthless. I’ve never met a driver as driven as Max. As soon as he gets in the car, you know you’re going to be at 110%. He expects 110% in return, from the moment the car leaves the garage.”

Max Verstappen of Red Bull “asserts his authority” from the first practice session.

Horner is amused to see that his driver sometimes shows his authority on the tracks by setting the fastest lap early in the weekend, even if it’s not significant, just to set the tone.

“It’s interesting, every time we go to a track, even a new one, the first lap of the weekend doesn’t mean much. I would almost bet my house on the fact that the driver who comes out with the best time on the first lap, sometimes two or three seconds faster than any other driver, is Max.”

“Because it’s a way for him to assert his authority by saying ‘I am in tune with my car, I am at the top of my game.’ He has the confidence, ability, feel, and technique to do this and to adapt.”

“I think he came into Formula 1 at a very young age, as a teenager, after missing – if you will – the training that occurs in the lower formulas. He did it very publicly in an arena where every move of these men is scrutinized and dissected.”

“I think he has come through it and his mental strength, in the big moments of the game, whether it’s in qualifying, a start, an overtake, or coming off the track, is exceptional. I’ve never met a driver with such resilience, able to handle pressure in these high-stakes moments.”

Max Verstappen Red Bull An Interview with Christian Horner.

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Full 2025 F1 testing results

Carlos Sainz
1
CARLOS
SAINZ
Leader
Lewis Hamilton
2
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+0.031s
Charles Leclerc
3
CHARLES
LECLERC
+0.083s
George Russell
4
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+0.197s
Max Verstappen
5
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.218s
Alex Albon
6
ALEX
ALBON
+0.302s
Kimi Antonelli
7
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+0.436s
Oscar Piastri
8
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+0.592s
Pierre Gasly
9
PIERRE
GASLY
+0.692s
Lance Stroll
10
LANCE
STROLL
+0.881s
Liam Lawson
11
LIAM
LAWSON
+0.904s
Jack Doohan
12
JACK
DOOHAN
+1.020s
Yuki Tsunoda
13
YUKI
TSUNODA
+1.149s
Isack Hadjar
14
ISACK
HADJAR
+1.327s
Fernando Alonso
15
FERNANDO
ALONSO
+1.352s
Esteban Ocon
16
ESTEBAN
OCON
+1.380s
Lando Norris
17
LANDO
NORRIS
+1.534s
Gabriel Bortoleto
18
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
+1.709s
Nico Hulkenberg
19
NICO
HULKENBERG
+2.109s
Oliver Bearman
20
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+3.013s

Testing Total Distance Covered by Team

1
Mercedes
458
2
Haas
457
3
Racing Bulls
454
4
Alpine
405
5
Williams
395
6
Ferrari
382
7
McLaren
381
8
Sauber
354
9
Aston Martin
306
10
Red Bull
304
Race Center
Australia Flag
Australian GP
13 Mar - 16 Mar
FP1
14 MAR 01:30
FP2
14 MAR 05:00
FP3
15 MAR 01:30
QU
15 MAR 05:00
RACE
16 MAR 04:00
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Australian Flag
Australian
Albert Park
16 Mar
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
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