Christian Horner names two key qualities that Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel share

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner feels that it is the 'steely, ruthless determination' that separates drivers like Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel from others. Vettel drove for Red Bull from 2009 to 2014, a period where he won four world championships and managed one runner-up finish.

Max Verstappen, on the other hand, debuted for Red Bull in 2016. The Dutch driver won his very first race for the team and has since then grown from strength to strength.

The Red Bull Team Principal was questioned in a recent episode of the Extraordinary Tales with Seb Coe podcast about what stood out for two of the most successful drivers for the team.

Praising both drivers' somewhat unique ability to go a little bit further and have a ruthless determination to achieve success was the key factor. He said:

"There [are] so many great talents that you see come through, but they’re all different. They all have their own personalities, their own traits, but with the good guys, there is that same steely, ruthless determination that they all share, that I see in Max [and] I saw in Sebastian obviously beforehand. It’s that last little bit, they’re prepared to go that little bit further.”

If not Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, who would Horner want in his team?

Being blessed with generational talents like Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, Horner has been able to build a great legacy. But what if these two were not available? Who would the Red Bull driver have wanted to drive for his team?

According to Horner, the answer is Juan Pablo Montoya and Tom Kristensen. He said:

"There’s a few over the years that I would have liked to have seen. I think Montoya underperformed in Formula 1. I think he was a wonderfully talented driver that should have achieved more. There was a driver that I tested in the Arden team that I again thought was a phenomenal driver that Formula 1 missed, there was a chap called Tom Kristensen, [who] went on to enjoy tremendous success in sports cars.”

Red Bull have had the privilege of having talents like Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, and Mark Webber on the team. Ever since the team rose to prominence in 2009, they have been home to some very impressive talent on the F1 grid.

With Max Verstappen on the verge of becoming a three-time world champion, the team have been on a legacy-building path with the Dutch driver now, just like they were with Sebastian Vettel once upon a time.