Red Bull boss praises Max Verstappen for unprecedented F1 triumph

ABU DHABI: Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen has pulled off a season no one else could have achieved, heaping praise on the two-time Formula One world champion.

Verstappen successfully defended his F1 title this campaign, winning 15 of 22 grands prix, including a third consecutive Abu Dhabi triumph over the weekend.

“I think Max is operating at a level that I’m not sure anybody — the way he’s driving at the moment — in the same equipment will be able to repeat what he’s done this year,” Horner said on Sunday.

Red Bull missed out on a one-two finish in the drivers’ championship as Sergio Perez was pipped by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Still, Horner paid tribute to Perez for enjoying his best season in F1 to date.

“This is the strongest that Red Bull has ever been,” said Horner.

“The strength and depth that we have, technically and operationally, throughout the business, everybody has gone their extra yards, which you need to do to achieve the kind of results that we have, against opposition that is world class.

“And nobody ever lost sight of the target, after eight years in the wilderness effectively, of keeping that momentum going, keeping that focus and determination. And when we got an opportunity, we grabbed it with both hands.”

However, it has not all been smooth sailing for Red Bull this year, with lots of controversy off the track, including being handed a $7 million fine and a wind tunnel penalty for exceeding the budget cap last season.

Add to that the manner in which they won the championship 12 months ago, as well as the recent drama with team orders that transpired between Verstappen and Perez in Brazil, and the Milton Keynes-based marque