Red Bull used team orders to let Max Verstappen by Sergio Perez during the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, after which the 2021 Formula 1 World Champion went on to take his 24th career win.
Perez expressed his dismay with the team’s tactics but obeyed the instructions nevertheless, making the topic a bit of a talking point recently.
Horner touched on Perez’s situation alongside Verstappen at Red Bull in an interview with RacingNews365, while admiring the Mexican’s maturity in handling the situation.
“Being Max Verstappen’s teammate is a bit of a head-screw for any driver but I think Checo has got the maturity to deal with that at the stage he’s at in his career and with the experience that he’s got,” he said.
“He’s finally got himself into a competitive car and he wants to make the very best of that at this point in his career.
“He knows that he gets the same equipment, the same chance, but I think he’s realistic in his expectations as well. And he’s very much a team player,” Horner added.
“I think with his performances to date, so far, he’s converged with Max,” the Red Bull said of Perez’s. “The dynamic between the two of them is very good.
“I think Checo is more settled in the team this year, in his second year, and, of course, with a reset with a new car, he’s been very much closer to the pace.
“Inevitably, in the next few weeks, we’ll start talking about future seasons but we’re not in a desperate rush,” Horner revealed.
Horner gave some insights of a post-championship-Verstappen saying: “Max now has that World Championship on his CV.
“Nobody can take that off him, so I think in many respects that’s released him but it’s also given him that hunger that he wants more.
“I haven’t really seen a real change in his approach but, of course, he just got the benefit of experience now,” the Briton insisted.
“He’s not focused on numbers, he just wants to achieve it again,” he continued. “And then I’m sure he’ll want to do it again after that.
“He just loves racing, he loves competing, he’s the most competitive driver we’ve ever had in one of our cars in terms of his desire to win.
“I think he’s very clear on what he needs to go quicker and I think that he gives you clarity of what his limiting factors are. He doesn’t get distracted by other stuff.
“He’s very much to the point of what he needs to go quicker,” Horner pointed out.
Verstappen heads to Monaco leading the Drivers’ Championship from Charles Leclerc by 6 points, while Red Bull lead Ferrari is the Constructors’ Standings by 26.
Racing on waves together again at the #MonacoGP ⚓️🇲🇨 with @WajerYachts 💪 pic.twitter.com/t3tkNqPdMY
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) May 25, 2022