Max Verstappen “has driven with great maturity”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen “has driven with great maturity” this season after claiming two wins, three podiums and finishing in the top five at every race this year.

Verstappen has had one of the best finishes to the first half of 2019 behind Lewis Hamilton, having won in Austria and Germany as well as taking his first pole in Hungary before narrowly losing out on strategy to the Brit's Mercedes.
 
Horner recognises that the Dutchman’s maturity showed at Hungary after losing the lead with four laps to go, stating that “he gets the bigger picture.”
 
He said in Hungary: “I think he has driven with great maturity.

“Even at the end of the race, to lose the race with four laps to go is hugely frustrating, but I think he gets the bigger picture.

“He knew the situation we were in and understands how the race is being read because to the layman it may seem that Red Bull got their strategy wrong - we didn’t.

“Mercedes just had the quicker car and the ability of a free pit stop opened up to them.

“He had the maturity immediately to understand what that situation was and I think he has really come of age this year.”

Verstappen’s run of finishing in the top five goes all the way back to the Belgian GP last year after retiring in Hungary, but Horner feels his racing has been there since Canada 2018.

“I think, not just in the last races but during the course of the whole of this season, indeed pretty much since Montreal last year, he’s been driving incredibly well at a very high standard,” Horner added.

“It’s certainly started to come together over the last few races.
 
“The win in Austria was a watershed moment, we were competitive at Silverstone, and obviously the race [in Germany] was a phenomenal performance by him, to keep his head, to have the pace in all varying conditions, and come out on top and win the grand prix.

“He’s in great form and hopefully we can continue that form into the summer break and out of the other side as well.

“He’s certainly delivering at an extremely high level.”