Christian Horner makes 'step higher' claim about new father Max Verstappen

Christian Horner believes new father Max Verstappen is "walking a step higher" after he roared to Miami Grand Prix pole position. 

Verstappen snared a third pole from six races to start the season and will start ahead of both Lando Norris in second and Oscar Piastri in fourth in Miami in the week he became a father for the first time after the birth of his daughter Lily. 

Reflecting on Verstappen's lap, after a mistake at Turn 1, Horner felt Verstappen was operating at a higher plane, something reinforced by his new fatherhood.

"I mean, as you can see, he is walking a step higher in becoming a father, and welcoming a beautiful little girl into the world," Horner told Sky Sports F1.

"That is a massive thing for him, and as we see time and time again when he crosses that line into the garage and puts his crash helmet on, everything disappears.

"His ability to focus and just deliver is insane, it is really, truly impressive.

"Like any great sportsman or woman, it is those big pressure moments, it is that last set of tyres, when the pressure is at its most extreme where he has delivered time and time again. 

"That is his third pole in six races, and against expectation as McLaren looked like they had us covered in Q2, but it is about going out and delivering the lap. 

"Max is a master at that, he's always been like that under pressure."