Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes the “mega-talent” that is Max Verstappen now deserves to be talked about as being amongst the greats of F1.
In taking the chequered flag in Canada on Sunday, Verstappen chalked up the 41st victory of his career, equalling the feat of iconic three-time champion Ayrton Senna.
Only four drivers now stand ahead of Verstappen on the all-time list of race winners – Lewis Hamilton (103); Michael Schumacher (91); Sebastian Vettel (54), and Alain Prost (51).
With 14 grands prix remaining this season, and given the fact the Dutch driver appears untouchable at present, with six wins from eight races so far, including the last four, there is every possibility Verstappen could surpass Prost by the end of the year.
Verstappen may not have won the number of titles as the illustrious quartet ahead of him, even Senna, although a third is surely a formality, yet Horner feels the 25-year-old now commands the same level of respect.
“What we’re witnessing with Max is the emergence of another mega talent and you can start to talk about him in the same sentence as the greats now,” assessed Horner.
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Referencing the fact Verstappen was joined in the top three at Montréal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve by third-placed Hamilton and runner-up Fernando Alonso, Horner added: “I thought the podium was very apt of the last couple of decades of Formula 1 with Max, Fernando and Lewis up there.
“He (Verstappen) just keeps delivering at such a high level. The race was fantastic but for me, qualifying was outstanding in conditions that were continually changing.
“His ability to adapt at all points to the conditions, whatever tyre and whatever grip level he had, was Max at his best.”
Summing up his achievement in being on par with Senna did not come easy for Verstappen when asked about it post-race.
“I hate to compare different generations,” said Verstappen.
“From my side, the only thing I can say is that when I was a little kid driving in go-karting, I was dreaming about being a Formula 1 driver.
“I would never have imagined winning 41 grands prix. So to tie with Ayrton is something incredible. I’m proud of that.
“Of course, I hope it’s not stopping here. I hope that we can keep on winning more races.”
Further offering his own appreciation, Horner added: “I don’t think he is one to show huge emotion. He is a very modest guy, very understated in many ways.
“But I think behind the scenes it will mean quite a lot to him.”
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