Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has drawn parallels between Max Verstappen’s remarkable achievements and the legendary status of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, underscoring Verstappen’s position in the sport.
Max Verstappen’s undeniable dominance throughout the ongoing Formula 1 season has left an indelible mark.
With a resounding triumph in 10 of the initial 12 Grand Prix races, including an unprecedented string of eight consecutive victories, the Dutch sensation is rewriting F1 history.
Positioned on the trajectory of his third F1 championship title, Verstappen’s accomplishment could align him with Ayrton Senna’s championship tally.
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In addition to surpassing Senna’s race-win record earlier this season, Verstappen stands a mere six triumphs away from matching Alain Prost’s tally of 51 victories.
Despite Verstappen’s humble deflection of his achievements, citing variations in race frequency across F1 eras, Horner lauded Verstappen’s exceptional stature within the sport.
While acknowledging the complexity of comparing drivers from disparate generations, Horner affirms, “In terms of the drivers, it’s so difficult to compare drivers from different generations but Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, both legends of the sport.
“I think Max is rapidly joining that group, so always difficult to compare different generations.”
The iconic rivalry between Prost and Senna stands as one of the most iconic chapters in F1 history, defined by their fierce on-track battles and contrasting styles.
Reflecting on this rivalry, Horner remarks, “They got pretty sparky between the two of them.
“And two alphas is always a difficult one to manage, so it was nice to watch that one from the sidelines.”
Yet, amidst the historic backdrop of Prost and Senna’s rivalry, Horner reveals his personal allegiance to another British driver.
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“I was very much in the Nigel Mansell camp, our Nige.
“It was great racing.
“Nigel was handicapped that year [1988] with an uncompetitive car, unfortunately, but yeah, it’s an incredible thing.”