Amid Heated Row With George Russell, Horner’s Tyson Fury Comparison Stands to Worsen Max Verstappen’s Image

Ever since his exploits in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, Max Verstappen has emerged as arguably the most sought-after talent in F1. The Dutchman broke several records during the 2022 campaign and has carried that form in 2023. Amidst all this, team principal Christian Horner has showered praise on him several times. In the latest news, he drew parallels with boxing legend Tyson Fury. However, given his latest tussle with George Russell, the compliment might turn out to be counterproductive.

Ever since playing out a draw in 2018 that saw Deontay Wilder retain his heavyweight title, Fury emerged as a different beast altogether. The Englishman has kept the title since defeating Wilder in 2021. That fight was a testament to Tyson’s killer instinct as he finished the bout in just the seventh round. That, according to Horner, is a quality Verstappen has in him as well.

How Max Verstappen proved Christian Horner right for the Tyson Fury comparison in Baku

During the Sprint Race on Saturday, George Russell got off to a great start and overtook the defending champion to take P3. Going into Turn 2, the two had a collision that saw Max take damage to his floor and bodywork. However, he soon found an opening in Lap 5 and took the place back from the Briton in the most sublime fashion. However, the words he used following the move saw him take some heavy criticism from fans and experts alike. The move proved his team boss right, who had compared him with the heavyweight champion in the lead-up to the race weekend.

Speaking with Standard Sport, Horner said, “I see a lot of Tyson Fury’s killer instinct in Max. Max had a tough upbringing and he’s got that inner ‘just don’t give up’. It’s not anger, but that hunger, drive, self- confidence and belief — and also he likes Tyson Fury.”

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In the main race, Verstappen snatched P1 from Charles Leclerc after starting behind him in no time. However, owing to a badly planned pit stop, finished the race where he started from- P2. His teammate Sergio Perez emerged as the winner, proving his worth on a street circuit once again.

Christian Horner confident Sergio Perez can prove to be a worthy challenger to Max

After Verstappen’s overtake on Leclerc in Lap 4, Perez did the same in Lap 6. The Mexican Minister of Defense held on to P2 until Max boxed in Lap 10. The move turned out to be a disaster as Safety Car came in following Nyck de Vries’ crash into the barriers. After that, Checo kept on building the gap on his own teammate and held on to the position till the very end to take the win home.

“It’s incredibly tough,” Christian said about having Max as a teammate and a rival. “That’s why I think ‘Checo’ is doing a great job. Mentally, Max can destroy team-mates, younger drivers haven’t had the roundedness to deal with Max Verstappen.”

“Checo has that experience. He accepts that Max is an exceptional talent but, if he focuses on himself, he can get close to him and challenge him at many venues. Whether he’s able to do that consistently over 23 races, we’ll see.”

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The circus will now move on to Miami. The fixture is sure to be a star-studded event. Make sure not to miss out on the action and for the latest updates, keep checking this space.