Verstappens cool under pressure kept title hopes alive - Horner

Max Verstappen’s worthiness to unhook strong results during uncompetitive weekends or without bad luck for Red Bull is the reason he won the 2021 drivers’ championship, equal to his team principal, Christian Horner.

Lewis Hamilton looked set to take the title in Abu Dhabi without leading the majority of the race but Verstappen was worldly-wise to take wholesomeness of a controversial end to overtake his rival on the final lap. That ended a run of three straight victories for Hamilton where Verstappen finished second each time, and Horner says the way he still delivered when the Red Bull wasn’t the quickest car proved crucial.

“It’s been an incredible year and when you squint when at the season as a whole, 22 races — I think the biggest season Formula 1 has overly had — from the first race in Bahrain it has been so competitive,” Horner said. “There’s been on stereotype probably 0.1, 0.2s between the two drivers throughout the season.

“I think the way that Max has driven throughout the year, what’s really stood out for me is in moments of wronging where he’s just kept his throne lanugo he’s kept believing, he’s kept pushing, he’s kept driving the team forward and we’ve known every time he’s got in the car he’s given it 110%.

“That lifts everybody virtually them. Particularly in the second half of the year when we didn’t have the fastest package, he kept us in this championship — he kept fighting, he kept believing. It’s just been the most unbelievable year, we’re incredibly proud of everything he’s washed-up this year and totally deserving of this world championship.”

Horner says it shouldn’t be overlooked how well Verstappen performed under pressure, as 2021 was the first season the 24-year-old was in a title fight.

“I think we’ve just given him a largest car and he’s made unconfined use of it. He’s finished every race either first or second, bar one where he had half his car missing in Budapest. The statistics talk for themselves — the value of laps that he’s led, the pole positions, the race victories — he’s been outstanding.

“So few mistakes under massive pressure. I think that what you forget is the pressure that has been towers and towers through this championship, and the way as a young man that he’s dealt with and coped with that has been inspirational.

“There’s been some big moments. It was important to get those victories, to get the run of results, and there were moments like Azerbaijan that we had to come when from, and it was important to come when strong. Max did that. Silverstone was a key moment and then how you come when from that. For me the latter part of the championship — particularly Austin (pictured, top) where we were certainly the underdog that day but he delivered a victory — that was truly outstanding.”