Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, does not believe that Max Verstappen is getting the recognition due to him despite his long string of accomplishments in F1.
Verstappen set a new record for the most race wins in a season by clinching the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday after already securing his second championship title with four races remaining in Japan.
Verstappen’s victory in Mexico was his 14th win of the campaign, breaking the previous record shared by Sebastian Vettel (2013) and Michael Schumacher (2004). With 416 points in just 20 races, the Dutchman has further highlighted his dominance in 2022 by surpassing Lewis Hamilton’s previous record for most points in a season.
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Horner said: “I think that what Sebastian has achieved in his career puts him amongst the greats and one of the most successful drivers in our sport but I think Max, what we are seeing today and this year is very special,”
“I sometimes think his achievements perhaps don’t receive the plaudits that they should, because I actually think what we’ve witnessed this year is an absolutely outstanding performance from a driver who is very much at the top of his game.”
When asked if this was the most one-driver-dominated season he had ever witnessed, Horner responded: “There have been years of domination by Mercedes but I think as an individual driver, probably yes.”
“He’s won the most grands prix in a year now within 20 races. On top of that, he’s won two sprint races. And he’s not won all of them from pole position. He’s had to fight and race for a lot of those victories.
“So I think when we look back at the end of the year, it is an absolutely outstanding year that Max has driven. He hasn’t put a wheel wrong, he’s been perfect throughout the season and it’s incredible the level of consistency that he’s been able to achieve.”
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Verstappen revealed that he is “incredibly proud” of his achievements, despite claiming that he has “never really been interested in stats.”
The two-time world champion said: “I just live in the moment, try to do the best I can every single weekend,” following his win in Mexico.
He added: “I try to win the races and that, for me, is the most important. Every single weekend when I go home, and I can say to myself that I maximised or close to that I’m happy.”
“But a lot in Formula 1 depends on your whole package, right? And we have a great package and I’m just enjoying the moment.
“I’m not that interested in keeping in touch with every stat. But of course, it is an amazing season and of course, I’m very happy with winning so many races.”
