Horner dismisses Lewis Hamilton's pressure remark towards Max Verstappen

Verstappen and Hamilton talking to the press — Photo: © LAT Images

Lewis Hamilton - Max Verstappen

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Horner dismisses Hamilton's pressure remark towards Verstappen

Mercedes driver suggested Verstappen would be feeling heat of first F1 title fight

Ian Parkes

Thursday 30 September 2021 18:12

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has dismissed Lewis Hamilton's suggestion that Max Verstappen is feeling the pressure of his first F1 title fight.

Ahead of the Russian Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton recalled his experience of his maiden championship battle, acknowledging "the pressure that comes with it".

Verstappen responded by driving from last on the Sochi Autodrom grid to second in a rain-affected race behind Hamilton to limit the damage and sit just two points adrift of the seven-time champion with seven races remaining.

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Asked as to how Verstappen was dealing with the pressure, Horner replied: "I don’t see any change in him at all.

"Max is a young guy, he’s going for it, he has nothing to lose. He’s not sitting there with a bunch of world championships defending a title, he’s the challenger and I think that’s the way he’s attacking this championship.

"If you see the pressure he was under with the home crowd in Zandvoort [at the Dutch GP], you don’t get bigger pressure than that. I think the way he handled that, in particular, was truly impressive.

"I think he’s just really enjoying and relishing this battle. It’s been a long, long time since we’ve been in a position like this.

"Of course, that’s exciting for him and it’s exciting and motivating for the whole team."

Red Bull "a great team to work with" - Verstappen

The obvious difference is when Hamilton first fought for the title he was a rookie, in contrast to Verstappen who is competing in his sixth season with Red Bull, and seventh overall in F1.

Over that period of time, the Dutch driver has managed to mould Red Bull around him to such an extent it is effectively his team.

Recognising the requirements to achieve such status, the 24-year-old said: "At the end of the day you need to be quick otherwise you won't stay at the team.

"We have a very good relationship within the team, everyone. We push each other forward. All these things together make it a great team to work with.

"It's a natural process but we all get an equal chance within the team, and of course, when you are at the team a bit longer, you also get to know each other a bit better every single time, and we get on very well."