Horner points to Red Bull ‘total harmony’ amid success

Red Bull and Max Verstappen are operating in total harmony amid their run of success this season, according to Team Principal Christian Horner.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen dominated the race en route to victory - a common occurrence during the current season.

It marked Verstappen’s 13th win of the campaign and sealed Red Bull’s sixth Constructors’ Championship since it formed on the grid in 2005.

The Milton Keynes-based squad has lost just once since the start of the season, which occurred at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this month.

Verstappen and Red Bull currently boast a huge lead in their respective championships, which Horner says is a result of the two gelling together so well.

“I think that Max is absolutely at the top of the game,” he told media including RacingNews365.

“He’s the best driver in Formula 1 at this point in time, and I think everything has to come together - car, driver, in total team, in total harmony.”

Horner commends Perez

While Verstappen enjoyed a successful day, team-mate Sergio Perez suffered a miserable outing.

He made contact with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap which resulted in a stop for a new front wing.

Later in the race, he was handed a five-second time penalty for a Virtual Safety Car infringement, before being issued another time penalty for colliding with Kevin Magnussen.

Despite his difficult outing, Horner has backed the Mexican driver.

“He’s stood second in the World Championship and I think he's finished second to Max six times so far,” he said.

“So had Max not been there, he would have been another six races on top of the two he’d already won [this season].”