Horner dazzled by "inspirational" Verstappen

Red Bull team principal believes the way Max Verstappen coped with the pressure of battling Lewis Hamilton for the F1 world championship was "inspirational".

Verstappen came out on top of his duel with the seven-time champion in the most dramatic of fashions with an overtake on the final lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

The pair had experienced close battles throughout the season, including contact on multiple occasions, with the pressure on both ramping up as the campaign drew towards a close.

Asked if the Dutchman had reached new heights, Horner replied: "We've just given him a better car and he's made great use of it.

"He finished every race either first or second, bar one where he had half his car missing in Budapest.

"The statistics talk for themselves, the amount of laps he led, the pole positions, the race victories, he's been outstanding, and so few mistakes under massive pressure.

"What you forget is the amount of pressure that's been building and building through this championship, and the way as a young man he has dealt with and coped with that has been inspirational."

On the key moments that defined Verstappen's maiden title, Horner said: "There have been some big moments.

"It was important to get those victories, the run of results, and then there were moments like Azerbaijan we had to come back from.

"It was important to come back strong, and Max did that, and then Silverstone was a key moment, and again how he came back from that.

"For me, in the latter part of the championship, particularly Austin, where we were certainly the underdog on that day, he delivered a victory that was truly outstanding."

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