Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal, has drawn a striking comparison between Max Verstappen’s remarkable driving abilities and those of F1 legend Michael Schumacher during his early Benetton years in the 1990s. Verstappen’s skill, particularly in handling a car plagued by performance issues, has earned him praise from Horner, who sees echoes of Schumacher’s genius in the Dutch driver.
This season, Red Bull has faced uncharacteristic challenges, especially with the RB20, which has proven to be difficult to manage due to significant handling issues. The car’s disconnection between the front and rear axles has caused inconsistent performance, but Verstappen’s sheer talent has allowed him to mitigate these problems and continue finishing in the top 10. At Monza, despite the car’s performance woes, Verstappen managed to secure a respectable sixth-place finish—maximizing the potential of a difficult situation.
“Max, due to his uncanny ability to drive around problems, has been able to deal with it, whereas it affected Checo much more,” Horner commented, emphasizing how Verstappen’s adaptability has outshone his teammate, Sergio Perez, who has struggled to cope with the car’s issues.
Horner further highlighted how Verstappen’s mastery over the RB20 is reminiscent of Schumacher’s driving style during his Benetton days. Just as Schumacher consistently extracted every ounce of performance from his cars in the early 90s, while others failed to get anywhere near his results, Verstappen is displaying the same level of driving brilliance.
“Almost to the point where, a little like the Benetton in the early 90s, where Michael [Schumacher] could drive that car, but whoever else got in it seemed to really struggle with it,” Horner explained, cementing the parallel between the two drivers’ talents.
At Monza, Red Bull uncovered critical problems when they reduced downforce on the RB20. The front and rear axles weren’t communicating effectively, creating a mismatch in handling that hampered the car’s overall performance. Horner admitted that the team’s simulation tools had significantly misjudged the car’s actual on-track performance.
“We were seeing the size of it in the build-up to Monza. When you took the downforce off the car, it highlighted the disconnection between the front and rear axles, and the numbers we were expecting to see on track were just miles out from where our simulation tools were,” Horner revealed, reflecting the depth of the car’s issues.
With over three weeks until the next race, Red Bull has a critical window of opportunity to refine the RB20’s performance. Currently sitting 41 points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, the team needs to find a way to close the gap if they are to regain their dominant form and challenge for the title.
As Verstappen continues to prove his worth on the track, his ability to adapt to and overcome technical challenges highlights why many see him as a driver in the mold of Schumacher—poised to dominate the sport for years to come.
