Post his voluntary retirement, the four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel arrived ahead of the rest of the grid in Suzuka in order to attend the Japanese Grand Prix this year.
With a long history of partnership between the driver and the Red Bull team, Vettel holds some sentimental value towards them and wholeheartedly supports their cause. Even after Max Verstappen broke his 12-year-old record this year, the German has nothing but praises for the young lad.
When this extraordinary accomplishment by the Dutchman was labeled as a mere “Wikipedia” statistic by the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, the ex-driver came to his defense.
According to Sebastian Vettel, “There’s Max today. There was Lewis. There was myself. So, I think it’s part of the sport. But it’s really you should be lucky that you’re able to witness history in the making. And what Max pulled off this year is amazing. His car is amazing, but even more so it’s his efforts.”
Sebastian Vettel praises Max Verstappen’s excellent 2023 season
“But it’s really you should be lucky that you’re able to witness history in the making. And what Max pulled off this year is amazing.”
“His car is amazing, but even more so it’s his efforts. He didn’t do a mistake,… pic.twitter.com/CbWPXINbuV
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) September 21, 2023
At the Japanese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel applauded Max Verstappen for his outstanding accomplishments and racing abilities. The dominance of Red Bull has been demonstrated through this year’s events. They rose to victory in every race prior to the Singapore Grand Prix. Their top driver, Max Verstappen, claimed 12 of these triumphs, an astounding performance that included an all-time streak of 10 victories in a row until it came to an end.
Christian Horner lauds Max Verstappen for displaying exceptional maturity
Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner has been sort of like a father figure for Max and has never shied away from acknowledging his efforts time and again. The Singapore Grand Prix hit the team like a boulder as they had to face a bad qualifying session as well as poor delivery during the race.
Things took a shocking turn when both the drivers of the team, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were out of Q2 which was quite unusual given the kind of performance record the former holds.
Two from Two in practice for Max Verstappen ⚡ pic.twitter.com/ehoBtyiTIn
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 22, 2023
But as per Horner, the race at Marina Bay was an insightful lesson for the driver. He said, “I think he’s shown great leadership, great maturity in the way that he handled it. Everybody was disappointed in last weekend — you get used to winning, and it’s a good reminder in how much it hurts to lose. And if it doesn’t hurt to lose, then you’re in the wrong business. He pushes the team, we push him and we both go to new levels.”
As the reigning Formula 1 champion, Verstappen is aiming to move one step closer to securing his third consecutive title with the invincible prowess he holds. The Dutch driver, without a doubt, stands as the top contender in the Driver Standings and still holds a high chance of winning the championship with 374 points.