Horner: 'Hugely emotional Verstappen like Senna and Schumacher and he's brilliant because of it'

21:26, 13 Jun

Updated: 21:29, 13 Jun

byNorberto Mujica

Christian Horner has revealed Max Verstappen did in fact apologise to Red Bull Racing following controversial contact with George Russell in Spain. The Briton also compared the Dutchman's emotionality to Ayrton Senna's and Michael Schumacher's, which gives him the brilliance he has.

According to Horner, Verstappen did apologise to his team after the Spanish Grand Prix following the clash with George Russell.

"It happened in the debrief. It was a very frustrating race for him and the team," he said to Sky Sports.

"One of those things which he accepted, with hindsight, I'm sure he would not have done it but there were a whole lot of circumstances that led up to it."

"Max apologised to the team. He knows the penalty was severe. You're always learning in this life and there will be lessons taken from that race, for sure," he added.

Max Verstappen topped the timesheets during FP1 for the Canadian Grand Prix

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'Verstappen like Senna and Schumacher'

Horner sees Verstappen as a driver who 'wears his heart on his sleeve.' "Max is a driver who drives with a huge amount of emotion. It's part of what makes him the brilliance he has. He wears his heart on his sleeve."

Something which he sees as a link to some of the greates drivers the sport has ever seen.

"Occasionally, you make misjudgements and we have seen it with all the greats, whether it's [Ayrton] Senna or [Michael] Schumacher."The most important thing is he came back, he immediately apologised and it was frustrating because he lost a lot of points that day," Horner concluded.

Max Verstappen topped the FP1 timing sheets as title rivals, McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris couldn't even break through to the top 10. A 'solid start' to Red Bull Racing's weekend noted Horner in a previous intervieww.