Horner: Verstappen can beat Hamilton
Max Verstappen can beat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight for the Formula One title in 2023, according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
Verstappen won 15 of the 22 races last season, but Hamilton missed out on a record eighth title by the narrowest of margins after a controversial safety car restart on the final lap in Abu Dhabi.
Horner believes that Verstappen has closed the gap to Mercedes and is deserving of the chance to compete with the team that has dominated the sport for the past eight seasons.
“Max is a phenomenal driver, and he’s only going to get better,” Horner said during an interview on the F1 Nation podcast. “He’s still only 24 years old, and he’s already one of the best in the world. I think he’s ready to challenge Hamilton for the title this year.”Verstappen has won two of the three races so far this season, and he leads the championship standings by 20 points from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Hamilton is third, a further five points behind.
Horner is confident that Red Bull can continue to develop their car throughout the season and give Verstappen the best possible chance of winning the title.
“We’re very happy with the car that we have at the moment,” Horner said. “But we know that we need to keep developing it if we want to stay ahead of the competition. We’re working hard on that, and we’re confident that we can make the car even better.”