Red Bull boss Christian Horner has concurred with Max Verstappen that he won the Formula 1 title in 2024 without the fastest car for “70 per cent” of the season.
Verstappen built up an unassailable advantage with two races to go last term to secure his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
However, Verstappen’s latest success wasn’t as straightforward as the timing suggested amid the sudden decline that Red Bull experienced during the campaign.
The Dutchman’s triumph owed much to the advantage he was able to build up in the nascent stages as he took seven victories in the opening 10 races to create a huge lead.
But Verstappen would then go on a 10-race winless run as Red Bull’s worsening balance issues were accentuated when upgrades to the RB20 didn’t produce the desired impact.
Verstappen’s brilliance helped to preserve the gap to the chasing pack, though, and a remarkable win from 17th on the grid in Brazil all but guaranteed him the crown.
Having argued he would have sealed the deal sooner in the McLaren that won the Constructors’, Verstappen claimed Red Bull wasn’t the benchmark for much of 2024.
“This year, we hit the ground running well, but then we had a lot of tough races,” Verstappen told media including Motorsport Week upon securing the title.
“And that is something where I’m very proud of in those tough races where we were definitely not the fastest car. We kept it together as a team.
“We worked very hard back at the factory as well, remained calm most of the times. And we barely made any mistakes.
“We really maximised or even overperformed in some places.
“Plus, our opposition also in a few places definitely didn’t grab the points that they should have.
He added: “I would say for 70% of the season, we didn’t have the fastest car, but actually we still extended our lead. So that is something that I’m very proud about.”
Horner agrees with Verstappen on Red Bull’s 2024 pace
Horner agreed with Verstappen’s assessment as he pinpointed the Miami Grand Prix – where McLaren’s Lando Norris prevailed – as the moment the tide turned.
When his driver’s comments were put to him, Horner told media including Motorsport Week: “I would say that’s about right.
“Since Miami, I would say that was a turning point. The car was very difficult to drive, but he was able to adapt and get the most out of it.
“I think we’ve improved it in latter races, but certainly around Monza time, it looked like the championship was slipping away.”
Verstappen ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest
Horner believes that Verstappen’s most recent championship-winning campaign established that he is “head and shoulders” above his peers at Red Bull’s rival teams.
“Max has been the outstanding driver, absolutely,” he added. “He’s part of the team, you win as a team and you lose as a team.
“He’s absolutely inspired within the cockpit and has head and shoulders been the best driver on the grid.”
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