Horner assesses Verstappen rarity after ending F1 drought

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed Max Verstappen to be the most "animated" he has seen him following the three-time F1 champion's rousing São Paulo Grand Prix victory. 

Verstappen recovered from as astonishing 17th on the grid at a rain-lashed Interlagos to claim one of the greatest wins in F1 history. 

The extraordinary feat extended the 27-year-old's lead in the F1 drivers' standings to 62 points over McLaren's Lando Norris, and means the Dutchman can now clinch a fourth consecutive crown with a victory in Las Vegas. 

Verstappen celebrated wildly in parc fermé after the race, and demonstrated an outburst of emotion not usually seen.

It was a win that ended a 10-race winless streak for both Verstappen and Red Bull, his worst run for four years.

What was all the more remarkable about Verstappen's performance was that he did not put a wheel out of place over the entire weekend en route to his 62nd career victory.

The only blip was failing to make it out of Q2 in the rain, albeit primarily beyond his control due to a crash that halted the session with no time remaining to return to the track.

Allied to a five-place grid penalty for taking an extra engine for this season, it all mounted up to Verstappen's lowly grid slot. 

As assessed by Horner, though, Verstappen has an ability to always push on, no matter the setback.

"You know when to put an arm around him, but he's not that kind of driver," Horner told select media including RacingNews365. 

"He works it out for himself. His mental resilience is huge, and that's part of the strength that he has. But you can see how much it meant to him. 

"I don't think I've seen him that animated on a podium for... I can't remember the last time, so it meant a huge amount to him. 

"And I really believe that we've witnessed one of the great drives in Formula 1."