Horner Hails Verstappen as ‘The Best in the World’

Max Verstappen dominates Suzuka, showcasing his brilliance and further proving he’s the best driver on the planet right now.

“The hardest part was done on Saturday,” said Christian Horner, reflecting on Max Verstappen’s victory at Suzuka. The Red Bull team principal was clearly pleased with the Dutch driver’s performance, which saw him dominate both qualifying and the race at the Japanese Grand Prix to claim an unexpected win.

“What a race! A flawless performance from the front allowed Max, the team, and of course our engine partner Honda, to secure a fourth consecutive win at Suzuka,” Horner said, emphasizing Honda’s role in the success.

“We owe them a huge thanks for their support over the years. In reality, the hardest part was done on Saturday. This weekend is undoubtedly one of the best of Max’s career, a weekend that solidifies his position as the best driver in the world right now. Suzuka is a driver’s circuit, and Max lived up to it.”

Horner also credited the Red Bull team for their collective effort. “The engineering team also deserves recognition for turning things around after Friday and working together to get the job done.”

As for the team’s other driver, Yuki Tsunoda, Horner noted his solid performance: “Yuki had a strong showing. The nature of the race made overtaking difficult throughout, but he made progress and will only get better as he integrates further into the team in upcoming races.”

Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, Helmut Marko, wasn’t initially betting on Verstappen’s ability to win on Sunday but was ultimately impressed by the Dutchman: “This time I didn’t bet, I was too scared! But Max made no mistakes and pushed to the limit. Only he can do that, especially when the McLaren was actually the fastest car.”

“Max was always controlling the gap, and his performance was masterful. It’s incredible—53 laps without a single error. Tactically, whenever Norris closed the gap or entered DRS range, Max would go two-tenths quicker to push him back. Incredible.”

Marko also highlighted what helped Verstappen secure the victory: “Max also improved his car by completely changing the setup for qualifying after a discovery during Free Practice 3, which gives us hope for the rest of the season.”

Turning to Tsunoda’s potential, Marko added, “For Yuki, it’s promising. Throughout all the sessions, he was quite close, just two or three tenths off Max. Had it not been for his poor qualifying, he would have been in the points. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for.”

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Verstappen Stuns at Suzuka, Cementing His World Status Verstappen Stuns at Suzuka, Cementing His World Status