Horner hits back at Verstappen critics with 'aggressive' Hamilton claim

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has name-dropped Lewis Hamilton in a strong response to criticism over Max Verstappen.

Verstappen's fifth-place finish at last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix was enough to secure a fourth consecutive Formula 1 drivers' title for the Dutchman, whose dominance over the sport continues.

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It's been far from plain sailing for the Red Bull star in 2024 however, with McLaren counterpart Lando Norris putting him under significant pressure in recent months.

He has also been subject to considerable speculation over his future , with rumours of his apparent unhappiness at the defending constructors' champions refusing to go away.

The 62-time race winner has also fallen foul of the sport's wishes regarding drivers' use of bad language, a move which saw him receive a bizarre punishment.

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Horner defends 'aggressive' champion

Verstappen's aggressive driving style has also come under severe criticism from fans and pundits throughout the campaign as a result of his high-profile tussles with Norris, most notably in Austria and Mexico.

And while he has consistently brushed off such comments, his boss at Red Bull has now revealed his star man was more affected than he may have initially appeared.

"He's more sensitive than you think," Horner said.

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"Inevitably he's aware of the criticism and some of it, I think, is very unfounded.

"He's a driver that drives aggressively; he's an attacking driver. But so was [Ayrton] Senna, so was [Michael] Schumacher, so was [Lewis] Hamilton, and they all came under the same kind of spotlight at various times in their careers."

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