Christian Horner is impressed with Fernando Alonso. The Red Bull Racing team principal noticed that the Spaniard was the only driver who could challenge Max Verstappen in Monaco. The reigning world champion couldn't completely shake off Alonso for the majority of the race, leading Horner to conclude that both drivers are currently head and shoulders above the rest.
Verstappen managed to secure pole position and win the race in Monaco, despite Red Bull predicting it would be a challenging weekend. Horner noticed one other man who was excelling in the streets of Monte Carlo. "You have to take your hat off to Fernando this weekend," the team principal tells international media. "I think Max and he were exceptional this weekend. It's amazing to see his confidence. He seems, in many ways, quite similar to Max. The way they drive, their determination. They just keep pushing."
Horner also recognizes that Aston Martin, especially with Alonso, is a formidable opponent for the Austrian team. "Aston Martin is the team that is closest to us. You could see that the rest of the field was far behind. It was only Fernando who could keep up with Max a bit." Even in the rain, Verstappen initially couldn't completely shake off the Aston Martin driver. "You can see that both men are head and shoulders above the rest of the field."
Despite Aston Martin's determination to push Red Bull to the limit, the reigning world champion maintains a significant lead in both championships. Red Bull seems to have the opportunity to win every Grand Prix, but the team principal doesn't want to entertain such thoughts just yet. "It's too early to predict something like that. We still have fourteen races (technically sixteen races, ed.) to go. A lot can still go wrong," Horner concludes.