Christian Horner does not dare to say how exactly Max Verstappen compares to other greats in the premier class of motorsport. What the Red Bull Racing team boss does dare to say with conviction is that the 26-year-old Dutchman is showing incredible things on the track and that there is most likely more in store for the three-time world champion.
Verstappen’s success in 2023 is unprecedented. Not only are his results impressive, but the Red Bull driver also receives a lot of praise for the way he achieves them. Verstappen is now considered one of the greatest of the sport by many experts, but is he also the best of them all? Is Verstappen better than, for example, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton?
Horner does not dare to say it and does not dare to make this, in his view, flawed comparison. “It is of course very difficult to compare drivers from different eras,” the Red Bull team boss begins in conversation with Bloomberg. ‘I think we can say, however, that what Max has achieved in a short time, with three world championships and 52 victories, is an incredible record. And I think he can now be mentioned in the same breath as the best drivers the sport has produced.’
How far can Verstappen get?
Verstappen is only 26 years old and still has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028. Given the current dominance of the Austrian team, the Dutchman can still achieve quite a bit of success. Horner thinks that the successes here certainly do not have to stop for Verstappen, but he does add a comment. ‘He is still very young and he is still growing as a driver. It will depend on what we can give him, but I think he can achieve many more successes. He’s motivated, he’s hungry and he loves racing. He is not interested in anything other than racing,” Horner says.
Red Bull dominance boring?
Red Bull as a team will win no fewer than nineteen of the twenty races in 2023. Just like Ferrari in the Schumacher era, the Austrian racing team is regularly accused that their dominance makes the sport boring. Horner thinks that’s fine and even sees it as a compliment. “That shows that we have done our job well and that we are winning,” says the Brit. “But we also know that this sport never stands still and even with stable regulations you can already see that other teams are improving and I think it will be a lot more exciting next year, so I expect a much more difficult 2024,” said Horner.
