Horner explains how Verstappen has reacted to Red Bull struggles as he vows to switch

Christian Horner has praised Max Verstappen for how he has responded to Red Bull’s recent dip in form, with the team boss hailing his driver for showing “great maturity” in his approach to the situation.

After a dominant display during the opening stages of the season, Verstappen and the team have seen their leads in both championships come under pressure amid an increasingly tight battle with their rivals as the campaign has progressed.

Recent races have proven particularly challenging for the Milton Keynes outfit, with Verstappen and team mate Sergio Perez ending the Italian Grand Prix in sixth and eighth respectively. Verstappen later commented that the squad would need to “basically change the whole car” before the next event on the calendar in Baku to address their issues.

Despite those frustrations, Verstappen also acknowledged that the situation is “part of racing unfortunately” and, speaking after the race, Horner reflected positively on how the Dutchman is dealing with the team’s struggles.

“What’s really impressed me with Max is how he’s really engaged in this process,” said Horner. “He’s not panicking, he’s working with the engineers, he’s explaining very clearly where the issues are, he’s putting the time and effort in.

He was in early this morning, he was on Zoom calls last week, he’ll be on the simulator before the next race, and he’s really working hard at this. I think he’s shown great maturity as a world champion, the way he’s working with the engineering group.

“Nobody likes the situation we’re in at the moment, nobody’s happy with it and we’ve got to work really hard to turn it around. But the one thing this team has is strength and depth in talent, and we’ll come back