Red Bull boss Christian Horner compared Max Verstappen's race start in Brazil to that of Ayrton Senna at Donington in 1993. The Brazilian's comeback to take the lead in the rain has become legendary, and Horner hails the resilience of its pilot over a difficult day.
“The day was an emotional roller coaster because we knew we had a good car” declared the Briton. “Max’s mental strength and attitude to deal with this is remarkable, and I found his start today electric.”
“That first lap was comparable to Donington 93, on the outside of Turn 3. I think he passed six cars on the first lap. Then he was the only car to really progress, to be able to taking cars – and so late on the brakes in turn 1.”
“Whether it's Lewis, Oscar Piastri or Esteban [Ocon] at the time of the restart, he controlled the race and lived up to expectations. He then controlled the race and broke away easily, at a rate of one second per lap. So it shone brightly today, even though it was a rather gloomy day.”
After a ten-race winless spell, Horner is relieved that the criticism of Verstappen and Red Bull has stopped: “Of course there have been a lot of comments and opinions about Max and the way he drives. I think the best way to respond to those criticisms is to do the race he did. “
“We've watched our lead dwindle since before the summer break and, having not won since June, it was great to hear the Rolling Stones playing in the garage again, who we play every time we win a Grand Prize in memory of Dietrich Mateschitz.”
Hill surprises Horner by being complimentary about Verstappen
Asked whether Verstappen could be one of the best drivers in history, Horner tempered: “It's difficult to make decisions from one generation to the next. Bernie [Ecclestone] called me after the race and said 'I've seen all the big ones, and this is one of the best I've ever seen'.”
“He's a bit older than me and has seen a bit more, so it's very creditable from someone like him. It was an incredible performance from Max, one of his best.”
Damon Hill confirmed that he has rarely seen Verstappen at such a level: “Absolutely one of his best performances. We assumed at first that maybe this was the day he could show everyone his brilliance, and that's what he did.”
After Hill's criticism of Verstappen's driving after Austin and Mexico, Horner was then amused by his compatriot's positive comments: “I think we're going to have to record the fact that Damon said something nice!”
Hill thus recalled that he never criticized Verstappen's driving level, but only his behavior on the track. And as he said after Mexico, since he judged that the Dutchman did not need to exceed the limits to be the best, he confirmed that he is impressed by Verstappen's raw talent.
“Look, we have to give back to Caesar what is Caesar's. I never said he wasn't a great pilot. He did it in a very clean way, he made his way through the field and showed everyone why he is such a brilliant driver and will be a four-time world champion.”
