Max Verstappen, the race winner, celebrates in the parc ferme. Red Bull boss Christian Horner emphasized one of the most impressive qualities of Verstappen: his ability to handle a Formula 1 car with ease. Verstappen has been dominating the world of F1 since 2022, taking advantage of Red Bull’s return to the top when F1 reintroduced ground effect cars. In this current season, Verstappen has maintained his winning streak, securing three victories and pole position in all four stages. After retiring in Australia, Verstappen bounced back and secured a third consecutive victory in Japan, leading his teammate Sergio Perez in a Red Bull 1-2 finish.
According to Horner, Verstappen is at his peak, demonstrating his mental strength by being aware of the difference between him and the car behind. Horner stated: “I think he’s in great shape. He switched his coach to Rupert Manwaring, who used to coach Carlos Sainz. Verstappen is fit and lean, and the car is performing exceptionally well. You can hear how easily he controls the car. He not only wants to know who is behind him, but also their lap times. His ability is truly impressive. His form from last year has continued seamlessly.”
When asked if Verstappen has a 20% reserve to rely on when facing tougher challenges, Horner replied: “He has become very astute at managing the tires. His ability to extend tire life is impressive, as we have seen in the first and second sectors. He has a wise head on his young shoulders.”
Despite Verstappen’s concerns about Red Bull’s race pace compared to Ferrari during practice, the team secured the front row in Suzuka. Carlos Sainz, driving for Ferrari, finished 20 seconds behind Verstappen, while Charles Leclerc was 6 seconds back. Horner commented: “It’s normal, that’s racing. We’ve been discussing this in Formula 1 for the past 20 years. However, our engineering team did an excellent job this weekend, and both Max and Checo were exceptional. It’s the perfect way to bounce back after the disappointment in Australia.”
Red Bull’s strong performance increased their lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship to 21 points, with McLaren 72 points behind. Verstappen, on the other hand, maintains a 13-point advantage over his teammate Perez in the Drivers’ Championship, with the Ferrari drivers closely behind the Mexican.
