Max Verstappen produced one of the best starts in F1 history at Interlagos on Sunday, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Although choosing the best race start in history is very tricky, Ayrton Senna‘s 1993 European Grand Prix performance is generally regarded as one of the best starts.
At the time, the Brazilian started from fourth place at the Donington Park circuit and although he dropped to fifth place immediately after the start, he managed to work his way to the front during the opening lap in rainy conditions.
And it was to the presentation of the legendary Senna from Donington Park that the Red Bull boss compared the behavior of Max Verstappen in the opening meters of this year’s Grand Prix of São Paulo, when the Dutchman from 17th position (in reality, however, from 15th, as the cars of Albon and Stroll were missing on the grid in front of him) he got up to 11th place very quickly. Already in the second round of the race, Verstappen got into the top ten when he was able to deal with Lewis Hamilton.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster this time because we knew we had a good car,” Horner said after the race, as quoted by Autosport.
“Max’s mental strength and attitude are excellent and I think his start on Sunday was electrifying. That first round was at the level of Donington 1993… Then he was the only driver who really progressed. Whether it was Lewis, Oscar Piastri and, in the (last, editor’s note) restart, Estaban (Ocona). Subsequently, he just controlled the race and left with ease, sometimes up to one second per lap,” the Red Bull boss pointed out.
According to Horner, with his performance on Sunday, Verstappen responded to critics who had questioned the way he raced in previous weeks, following the incidents with Lando Norris.
“There have been many comments and opinions about Max and his driving style. I think the best way to answer those criticisms was to show off the ride he did. It was great to hear the Rolling Stones playing in the garage again. We take it as a memory of Dietrich Mateschitz (the late founder of the team), so we play them every time we win a grand prix,” said Horner, who was also called by former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone after the finish line.
“Bernie called me after the race and said, ‘I’ve seen all the greats and this is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen’… He’s a bit older than me (43) and he’s seen a bit more so it’s high praise from someone like him,” the British manager added.
