Christian Horner spots eye-catching Max Verstappen moment after Brazilian GP

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has pointed out how 'animated' Max Verstappen was after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, believing that his reaction spoke volumes.

Verstappen, 27, produced arguably the finest performance of his glittering career and a drive which will surely go down among the greatest in Formula 1 history to claim victory in the torrential Sao Paolo rain. Having started third from the back due to a disastrous qualifying session and an additional five-place grid penalty for changing his engine, the Red Bull star managed to make it all the way to the front after multiple stoppages in the race and win by a remarkable 19-second margin.

Standing on top of a Grand Prix podium for the first time since Spain five months and 13 races ago, Verstappen is now on the verge of winning a fourth successive Drivers' Championship after moving 62 points clear of title rival Lando Norris of McLaren. After Verstappen stepped out of his car, boss Horner noticed how the Dutchman was particularly buoyant in a sign of how much the 'masterclass' meant to him and Red Bull.

"You do not often see him that animated - you could see that it meant a lot for him," Horner acknowledged. "It has been a long time since we won a race. It was a great performance and result for the team. I think it was one of his very best drives today."

Verstappen's own comments echoed that sentiment, revelling in the fact that he could now win another world title as soon as the next Grand Prix takes place in Las Vegas on Sunday, November 24. "It is definitely an emotional win," the reigning champion said.

"This morning I was very upset and my emotions have been going from left to right today. I surprised myself, to be honest, by winning here. We had a really good start and stayed out of trouble. We made good overtakes and were very fast, and we made the right call with the red flag to stay out. Suddenly the rain came down and it was un-driveable on the wet tyre.

"I never thought I would win today - I had a feeling that I could come forward, but I felt comfortable. From a young age I drove a lot in the wet, with my dad and my friends. Naturally, that makes you comfortable in these conditions. The car gave me confidence today and I am incredibly pleased with this result."

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Horner also assumed that P1 was out of the question, as Red Bull's car had struggled in the increasingly wet weather earlier in the weekend. "I never expected to win that," the chief admitted. "I though that if we could get somewhere near the podium that it would be an amazing result. For him to have gone out there and won that race, it was absolutely outstanding.

"In the wet and in the dry, he is the best in the world. It has been a while, but the whole team have really kept their heads and worked incredibly hard. We fought ourselves back into a winning position and that is testimony to all the work that goes on behind the scenes, back in Milton Keynes."