Horner sees fierce Verstappen: 'Doesn't matter who he has to beat'

Max Verstappen has been with the Red Bull Racing team for quite some time now, but he continues to surprise Christian Horner. The team boss says he is very impressed with the strong form the Dutchman is showing this season, despite the pressure he is under.

He was particularly impressed with what Verstappen showed at Zandvoort. "The way Max deals with the pressure is fantastic. In Zandvoort, in front of the Dutch crowd with huge expectations of him... and bang, he gave it everything. Every race he gets everything out of the car," Horner said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

According to Horner, the title battle with Lewis Hamilton is especially beautiful because the drivers are so different. "They are two very different drivers and also two very different people," he continued. "Hamilton is the most successful driver in the history of the sport, but Max is putting pressure on him and forcing him to race at the highest level."

The fact that Hamilton is his title rival doesn't make Verstappen extra motivated. "Because of his warrior character, Max would fight anyone who was fastest on the track. He just wants to win. It doesn't matter if he has to beat Hamilton, Leclerc or anyone else to do it," Horner said.