Verstappen clinched his third consecutive title within the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday to safe a crown that has seemed to be his for the reason that early part of the marketing campaign.
However whereas the RB19 automotive has been the category of the sector, Horner feels that it has been made to look even higher by a trait that Verstappen has of needing to indicate simply how good he’s.
Fairly than ever taking issues straightforward and going into cruise and acquire mode, he says Verstappen’s mentality is that he should win by the most important margin he can.
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“He would not depart something on the desk,” stated Horner. “He needs all of it. And that drives and motivates the group internally.
“I feel he’s relentless in his pursuit of efficiency. He would not need to simply win: he needs to dominate.
“You see that in any nice sportsman. Their pursuit of excellence and pursuit and never simply eager to be first, however definitely dominate, is once more a trademark what makes him such an distinctive expertise.”
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing, 2nd place and 2023 world drivers champion, in Parc Ferme with Christian Horner, Crew Principal, Purple Bull Racing, Adrian Newey, Chief Know-how Officer, Purple Bull Racing, his group after the Dash race
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Horner believes that what Verstappen has proven this 12 months isn’t just affirmation of the pure expertise he has had ever since he arrived in F1, but in addition an added maturity that has made him a whole article.
“I feel usually he all the time had the pace from the very second he sat within the automotive, and I feel that he now {couples} that with expertise,” added Horner.
“He arrived in F1 as fairly a tough diamond, however now could be a really polished diamond. I feel that he is maintained all these uncooked attributes that he had, however now brings expertise and {couples} that with that.”
He added: “A number of the races he is pushed this 12 months have been so nice that it is exceeded all our expectations.
“I feel Max as a driver has simply continued to evolve, he is continued to develop and the extent that he is now working, and the way in which he is in a position to learn races, the way in which he is ready to handle tyres, the psychological energy that he has within the high-pressure moments is completely excellent.”
Verstappen himself believes that taking over board a whole lot of life classes over the previous few years has helped elevate his personal potential within the automotive.
“I preserve attempting to enhance,” he stated. “And naturally, I do not essentially suppose I’ve turn into a sooner driver, however you have got much more expertise within the automotive. You develop as a driver, you develop additionally, I feel, as an individual in life.
“I feel all these sorts of issues, after I examine to my first season in System 1, they make it easier to loads when it comes to simply coping with each form of strain state of affairs all through the weekend; all the pieces that is likely to be thrown at you and in troublesome situations, for instance.
“In the long run it is all about attempting to ship each single weekend, which I feel may be very exhausting in System 1.”