Horner warns "out of this world" Verstappen only going to get better
Verstappen secured his third consecutive drivers’ title at the Qatar Grand Prix after finishing second in the sprint race.
It capped off a dominant year for Verstappen, who has won 13 of the 16 races in F1 2023.
Speaking after Verstappen’s latest championship win, Horner labelled his star driver as “out of this world”.
“It’s been by the far the most dominant and so it’s come as no surprise but to see Max join some of the great names that have been talked about earlier: Brabham, Senna, Piquet, Lauda, Sir Jackie Stewart, he’s in that bracket now,” he said.
“I mean the way he’s driven this year, it’s been just out of this world. You have to take a moment to reflect. You’ve got to be in the moment and everything he’s done this year has been phenomenal. I just think the whole team - the way they’ve galvanised and worked so well together.
“Not just here but all the unsung heroes back in the factory, across all the 22 different departments that make up our team. This is the culmination of that.”
Horner believes Verstappen is “still going to get better” despite reaching unprecedented levels of dominance this year.
“I think he’s the most competitive driver I’ve ever met,” he added. “The determination he drives with, the passion, the heart, the commitment and of course, the abundance of skill that he has.
“He’s up there with the very, very best, some of the greatest this sport has seen. I think this season has just surpassed anything we’ve ever seen.
“We did a lot of winning with Sebastian but this is taking it to another level. He’s only 26. I think he’s still going to get better, still going to evolve and grow as a driver.”
