Christian Horner has leapt to the defence of Max Verstappen following criticism of the Dutchman's dominance of the sport.

Of course, over the years there have been many instances of domination by one particular team or driver, however, Verstappen's reign coincides with the introduction of a whole new breed of fan enticed by the faux drama of Drive to Survive and the endless self-promotion of the sport on social media.

Whilst long-term fans grew used to the Schumacher era, and subsequently the periods of domination by Red Bull and then Mercedes, those fans introduced to the sport during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, when Drive to Survive reigned supreme, do not like seeing the same face atop the podium week after week.

Lando Norris didn't help matters at the weekend when he admitted that seeing the same driver winning all the time can be boring, possibly forgetting those heady days of the 80s and 90s when his own Woking outfit ruled.

"The only exciting races have been the ones that Max is not in," Norris told reporters after finishing second on Sunday.

Red Bull boss, Horner was quick to react.

"If you see the same driver winning every single time without a fight then of course it does start to become boring and that is obvious," he said. "Max is a special talent and it's a golden moment for him.

"As we've seen with every single driver it doesn't last forever," he continued, "and I think it's enjoying the moment, being in the moment, and there's no guarantees that we'll be able to give him a car like this every year for the next five years.

"It's doing what you can, while you can," he added. "He's just like a metronome. The pace that he showed last year, he's just continued that through. Since the last Chinese Grand Prix he's won 50% of all the races, he's won 21 of the last 23 races. He's in fantastic form, at one with the car and at one with the team and enjoying his racing."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Mad Matt, 24/04/2024 6:30

"Didn't Lando go on to say
"If you see the same driver winning every single time without a fight then of course it does start to become boring and that is obvious. You have got one of the best drivers ever in Formula 1, in one of the most dominant cars and it is a combination that is deadly. If Max wasn't there and you had two Perezs it wouldn't be the case." ?

To some extent I agree... but at least these days the TV coverage show what's going on behind... and in the end it's the other teams job to improve until they catch Red Bull."

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2. Posted by Celtic Tiger, 23/04/2024 19:53

"At the end of the day for these "fans" it basically boils down to its not my team/driver, so its boring. As Lando Norris and I share a common admiration for Valentino Rossi, I can confidently bet that when Rossi was destroying on the Honda and Yamaha ol' Norris wasn't switching off do to boredom. "

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3. Posted by Wokingchap, 23/04/2024 12:01

"Am i allowed to agree with both Lando and ch (who i rarely agree with) here.?"

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4. Posted by yakker, 23/04/2024 11:41

"If Red Bull had Perez as number 1 driver and a another they would not be dominant, but they have Max and he is an exceptional talent. I didn't hear athletics fans complaining about Usain Bolt winning everything. We put up with Hamilton and Schumacher (and others in the past) winning, waiting for the next team and talented driver to come along. I am sure some of the current drivers are capable of pushing Max, but the teams need to up their game."

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5. Posted by Max Noble, 23/04/2024 11:40

"Enjoy the genius while it is shining. What do Napoleon, Leonardo, Bradman, Bannister, Rosewell, Anquetil, Villeneuve, Hunt, Lauda all have in common…? Yup. That. Celebrate it while we have it. Once it’s gone. It’s gone forever. "

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Horner defends Verstappen dominance

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