"Clinical" Verstappen victory the foundation for a 2021 title challenge - Horner

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

"Clinical" Verstappen victory the foundation for a 2021 title challenge - Horner

Verstappen took victory in the final race of the season

Ewan Gale

Sunday 13 December 2020 16:53

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen's "clinical" victory can help the team carry momentum into challenging Mercedes next season.

Verstappen dominated the season-finale in Abu Dhabi, taking victory by 16 seconds from Valtteri Bottas as the Dutchman led every lap.

Horner commented the team's second win of the season will help boost momentum heading into the winter.

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"That was the best most static race we've enjoyed for a long, long time," he said. "I think 2013 was the last time we won here. I think 2013 was the last time anybody but Mercedes won here.

"But Max all weekend has just been absolutely clinical the way he has driven and whatever they had, he had a response to today.

"You always want to try and win the last race because it just sets up the winter, you take that momentum into the winter and I think for all the guys and girls back home at Milton Keynes that have put so much into this year.

"It's not [just] what you see at the circuit, it's what goes on behind the scenes and particularly in the kind of year that we have had with all the restrictions, the lockdown, the different calendar and it's testimony to that hard work that we've got ourselves into this position."

Horner praised Red Bull's title-winning rivals Mercedes but pointed to the large carry-over of components into next season as evidence to his view that the competition at the top may be tighter next time around - Red Bull falling 254 points short of the Silver Arrows this year.

"That's what we've got to do, we've got to take this momentum," he explained.

"Mercedes have done an absolutely top class job this year and they're not standing still, they're pushing. We carry over a large element of this car into next year and that is why we've kept pushing, to learn and learn and learn, and I think that gives us great momentum.

"I think if we can take that, next year is not that far away now, so that is important for us and I think gives everybody a good shot of confidence."