Max Verstappen hailed as an F1 ‘GREAT’ and ‘mega talent’ by Red Bull boss Christian Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen as a Formula One ‘great’ after he matched Ayrton Senna’s record of 41 wins at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old Verstappen made it 15 victories from the last 19 races during his and Red Bull’s white-hot streak. He leads the standings by 69 points over team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished sixth in Montreal.

The victory was also a landmark for Red Bull – their 100th victory since making their debut in 2005.

Of Verstappen’s achievement, Horner said: ‘I think what we’re witnessing with Max is the emergence of another mega talent. You can start talking about him in the same sentence as the greats now, having matched Ayrton Senna.’

Verstappen led home Aston Martin’s runner-up Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ third-placed Lewis Hamilton – a stellar cast containing a combined 11 world titles.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner lavished praise on the world champion for his dominant win

Verstappen, aged just 25, has now matched Ayrton Senna’s (pictured) record of 41 victories

‘I thought the podium today was very apt in terms of the last couple of decades of Formula One, with Max, Fernando and Lewis up there,’ said Horner.

‘Max just keeps delivering at such a high level. The race he did today was fantastic but for me even more so his qualifying on Saturday was outstanding in conditions that were continually changing. His ability to adapt to whatever grip level he had was Max at his best.’

Horner has guided the Milton Keynes-based team since its entry under the ownership of Austrian drinks tycoon Dietrich Mateshitz, who died last year. Horner was then the youngest team principal at the age of 31 and is now the longest serving at 49.

‘When we first came into the sport the ambition was to be competitive,’ he said. ‘That was Dietrich’s vision. Not just to take part. I remember when we won our first race in 2009, four years after starting out, getting on the plane home and thinking, “Well, if nothing else happens, at least we’ve won one.” And now we’re 99 race wins later.

Verstappen made it 15 wins from the last 19 races during his and Red Bull’s white-hot streak

The Dutchman leads the drivers’ championship by 69 points over his team-mate, Sergio Perez

‘It’s testament to the dedication from all the people in the company. There are so many unsung heroes behind the scenes who have contributed. Hopefully we can keep going and achieve another 100.’

While Verstappen surges, Perez has struggled in Monaco, Barcelona and Montreal, but Horner backed the Mexican to rally, saying: ‘He just needs a good weekend to lift his confidence. He’s had three difficult Saturdays, which put you on the back foot for Sundays. He just needs to have a strong weekend. He’ll be back.

‘He’s still second in the world championship and he’s the only other driver to have won a race this season. We just need to support him through this period and I’m sure he’ll find his form again soon.’