“As the 2023 championship season approaches its conclusion, the perennial discussion about the ‘boring’ aspect resurfaces. Yes, the familiar narrative of whether Max Verstappen is making Formula 1 less thrilling is back in the spotlight, as seen in the recent discussion on Bloomberg TV. However, this time, Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull, refuted these claims by redirecting the attention elsewhere.”
The British boss ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas GP sat down for a virtual interview with Bloomberg and while discussing many aspects of F1 and his team, also had to defend Verstappen against the “Verstappen is making F1 boring” debate and he did so perfectly.
Christian Horner makes a modest argument to defend Max Verstappen against the boring debate
The British boss is an F1 veteran and has been living the life for many years and has faced many different scenarios in the sport. So what he and his team are experiencing currently is nothing new. This is exactly how Christian Horner successfully and very subtly shifted the focus to 2024 to diffuse the accusations on Verstappen.
“Well, it means we’re doing our job and we’re winning. But the one thing that’s guaranteed in the sport is that nothing stands still. I think with stable regulations we can already see teams improving behind us and I think that next year it’s going to converge and we’re in for a much more tight championship next year and also 2025 before another reset with new regulations for 2026. So I’m expecting a much much tougher year in 2024,” said Horner.
So, even though the Austrian team with their Dutch driver has absolutely dominated the sport in 2023, they don’t expect to repeat this feat in 2024. That is what the boss believes. What about their star man?
Max Verstappen makes boastful admission squashing any dreams of resurgence by other drivers on the grid
Every F1 driver walks around with the self-belief that they are the best. They walk around with confidence they possess the skill and talent to beat any driver on the grid. So naturally when you already have beaten everyone on the grid and with quite a margin like Verstappen has, you can’t blame him for making the boastful claim in a recent interview for Dutch Media.
While answering the question of who can challenge him in the other Red Bull seat, Verstappen first took a diplomatic approach. He said, “I think everyone in this paddock can beat each other, but to do it every weekend is a different story. And then it’s very difficult to choose who can do that because that person has to have had a chance in a top car.”
However, the Dutchman showcased the self-belief that has made him a triple world champion. He boastfully added, “But I do always assume I can beat everyone, that’s my thinking.”
No matter how good a driver is doing on a particular day or track, the Dutchman has the talent and skill and clearly has the confidence as well to beat them. So will 2024 become a formality as well?
