Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was quick to sing the praises of Max Verstappen after his superb victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, hailing him "the best driver in the world currently".
Verstappen stunned onlookers as he toppled the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Qualifying on Saturday but, after successfully defending his lead into Turn 1- at the race start, the Dutch four-time World Champion looked imperious at the head of the field.
The Red Bull man went on to seal his fourth consecutive victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, in a performance that was heralded by plenty of voices up and down the paddock.
"Max, without any debate, is the best driver in the world currently," Horner told Sky Sports F1 when asked if Verstappen was operating at a level beyond the RB21's capabilities.
"But you're a team. You're not a driver and a car, you're a team, and you win together and lose together. We're working very hard.
"We know that this car has some vices. We know where we need to improve, and everybody is working very hard to achieve that.
"We turned things upside down this weekend to get a car into a window that Max could make use of, and Suzuka is a drivers' circuit. But you've also got to have a car to be able to deliver, and credit to the engineering team as well this weekend for giving him something that he could finally work with."
Victory at Suzuka places Verstappen just one point behind Norris at the summit of the Drivers' Standings, with the possibility of the Dutchman sealing a fifth consecutive title a very real possibility once more.
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