The Tyson Fury of F1? ‘Verstappen has that killer instinct’
Verstappen has won two of the opening four races this season and finished second in the other two as he bids to become just the fifth F1 driver in history to win three consecutive world titles.
The Dutchman holds a six-point championship lead over teammate Sergio Perez, with the pair appearing to be in a private battle for this year’s drivers’ title following Red Bull’s dominant start to 2023.
Verstappen, who will be looking to strike back against Perez by claiming his second victory in Miami this weekend, has been labelled as the ‘Tyson Fury of F1’ by his boss.
“I see a lot of Tyson Fury’s killer instinct in Max,” Horner told the Evening Standard.
"Max had a tough upbringing and he’s got that inner ‘just don’t give up’. It’s not anger, but that hunger, drive, self - confidence and belief - and also he likes Tyson Fury.”
Asked if he believes Verstappen could go on to surpass Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton’s records and become the greatest F1 driver of all time, Horner replied: “That’s a big ask.
“He’s 25 years old and a double world champion. What he’s achieved already in this sport is amazing.
“A lot will depend on the car that we give him, but he’s the standout of the current generation of outstanding driver talent.”
The second Red Bull seat has been considered something of a poisoned chalice in recent years, but Horner reckons Perez is the first driver who can deal with the pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate.
“It’s incredibly tough,” Horner said of the challenge Perez faces.
“That’s why I think ‘Checo’ is doing a great job. Mentally, Max can destroy team-mates, younger drivers haven’t had the roundedness to deal with Max Verstappen.
“‘Checo’ has that experience. He accepts that Max is an exceptional talent but, if he focuses on himself, he can get close to him and challenge him at many venues. Whether he’s able to do that consistently over 23 races, we’ll see.
“He knows that’s his biggest challenge. He recognises the talent Max has and he’s completely comfortable with that.
“He’s had a great start to the season and knows he has a great car, but he needs to beat the other guy on the other side of the garage.”
