'Never seen anything like it': Red Bull boss explains what makes Max Verstappen special

Christian Horner has shared his thoughts on what he believes has led to the success of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who is preparing for a shot at his third consecutive world championship title. Verstappen had a controversial win in 2021 and was dominant last year, winning 15 of the 22 Grand Prix races and finishing 146 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the drivers' standings. 

'His ability to get in and get on with it, I’ve never seen anything like it': Horner

This also helped Red Bull secure their first Constructors' title since 2013. Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez impressed during the pre-season testing in Bahrain, and the same venue will host the season opener this weekend. Verstappen took a well-deserved break during the off-season and even attended Geri Horner's 50th birthday event, where Christian Horner praised his driver's intense focus and dedication. 

"If you look at his first out lap of the test, Max comes in two-and-a-half seconds quicker than any other driver. His ability to get in and get on with it, I’ve never seen anything like it. There is no build-up or easing your way in," Horner was quoted as saying the Daily Mail. 

"That’s where I am able to switch off. We train them at home rather than send them away. It’s nice for the kids — they can help with the mucking out. It’s just a bit of fun but again it’s competition," he added. 

The F1 qualifying session at the Bahrain International Circuit is scheduled to commence on Friday. In last year's opening race, Charles Leclerc emerged victorious, benefiting from the retirements of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez due to car troubles.

As things stand, Verstappen is considered the favorite to come out on top this season, given the perceived gap in speed between Red Bull and their competitors at Mercedes and Ferrari.

“It's more important we focus on ourselves. The main issue we had last year was the car was massively overweight, so at the beginning the car was very lazy and wasn’t turning in. This year it’s just a continuation, but also things we found and put on the car that were clearly better," Verstappen said before Sunday's race. 

Image: AP