Red Bull have best driver line-up in F1 – Horner

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo may not have matched up to Lewis Hamilton in 2017, but Christian Horner is happy with the Red Bull duo.

Christian Horner believes Red Bull have the best driver line-up in Formula One with Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

Verstappen and Ricciardo have amassed 340 points between them across 18 races of the 2017 season, leaving them third in the constructors' standings behind champions Mercedes and Ferrari.

The pair have won three races in a year dominated by Lewis Hamilton, the Briton having sealed the drivers' title last time out in Mexico with a ninth-place finish.

But despite both Red Bull drivers being well off Hamilton's total, and the team trailing Mercedes by 255 points, Horner still thinks he has the best two drivers at his disposal.

"We've got the best driver line-up in Formula One," Horner told Omnisport, speaking at the launch of the new TAG Heuer Formula One Limited Edition Fangio timepiece.

"I think in Max and Daniel we've got two phenomenal talents and we want to ensure that we let them realise their potential.

The Honey Badger returns to Interlagos with a vengeance this weekend ???????????????? #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/KlyHAOQo55 — Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) 6 november 2017

"It's down to us to give [them] a good car.

"The two are automatically in conflict but we have a great respect between our two drivers. We give them the same chance, the same opportunity and it's really down to them what they do on the track."

Verstappen won in Mexico City to give him a second win in the last four grands prix, and a third podium.

Horner believes the 20-year-old will become an F1 great in the future, but knows the Dutchman still has plenty of room for improvement.

He added: "I think the exciting thing about Max is how much potential there is for the future.

"He's still only 20 years of age and he's at the beginning of his career and I think what's so exciting about him is how much better is he going to get?"