Horner Lauds Verstappen After Japanese Grand Prix Masterclass

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner heaped praise on Max Verstappen following a stunning victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, describing the Dutch driver’s performance as one of his finest ever in Formula 1. Verstappen’s masterclass at Suzuka saw him fend off a fierce challenge from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, securing his fourth consecutive win at the iconic circuit and closing the gap to just one point behind Norris in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Verstappen, starting from pole position after a breathtaking qualifying lap on Saturday, led from lights to flag in a race that demanded precision and composure. Despite McLaren boasting the quicker car throughout much of the 2025 season, Verstappen extracted every ounce of performance from the Red Bull RB21, a car that has struggled with balance issues in the opening rounds. Horner credited Verstappen’s “inch-perfect” drive for the triumph, noting that the four-time world champion made “not a single mistake” across the 53-lap race.

“That’s one of Max’s best weekends,” Horner told reporters after the race. “We literally turned the car upside down, setup-wise, to give him a fighting chance. McLaren have been very, very fast, and it needed Max to be flawless with two rapid McLarens right behind him. He delivered.”

The race was not without drama. A tense moment unfolded during the pit stops when Verstappen and Norris emerged side-by-side, with Norris briefly forced onto the grass as they rejoined the track. Norris argued he had been squeezed out, while Verstappen maintained it was a fair racing incident. The FIA stewards reviewed the clash but ruled no further action was necessary, a decision Horner supported. “Max didn’t put a foot wrong, and the stewards made the right call,” he said.

Verstappen’s victory marks his first win of the 2025 season, a testament to his ability to defy the odds against a dominant McLaren team that has set the pace so far. His pole position on Saturday—described by Horner as “one of his best laps in qualifying ever”—set the stage for Sunday’s success, silencing doubters who questioned Red Bull’s competitiveness after a rocky start to the year.

“Max, without any debate, is the best driver in the world currently,” Horner told Sky Sports F1. “What he’s done this weekend, with a car that’s been tricky to handle, is phenomenal. He’s operating at a level that’s just extraordinary.”

The win has reignited Verstappen’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive world title, pulling him to within a single point of Norris as the season heads to the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend. However, Horner remained cautious about Red Bull’s prospects in the Constructors’ Championship, where they sit third, 50 points behind McLaren. “Our priority is the Drivers’ Championship,” he admitted. “We’ve still got work to do to catch McLaren as a team.”

Verstappen himself acknowledged the team’s efforts, saying, “The hard work was really done yesterday, but today again in the race, we executed everything perfectly. We know our limitations, but we pushed it to the maximum.”

The Dutchman’s performance drew praise from across the paddock, with even McLaren team principal Andrea Stella conceding that Verstappen had delivered a “fine performance,” though he maintained belief in his team’s superior car. For now, Verstappen’s Suzuka masterclass serves as a reminder of his exceptional talent—and a warning to his rivals that the champion is far from finished in 2025.