Signing Verstappen early brought “energy that injected into the whole factory”

Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull was due to end this season and had been linked strongly with a move to Mercedes for 2021 after Charles Leclerc signed a lengthy five-year deal with Ferrari.
 
But after being impressed by Honda’s involvement with the team and the performance they had brought the Dutchman opted to continue with the energy drinks teams until the end of 2023.

"It was fantastic to get that deal done early, because of the energy that injected into the whole factory," said Horner, quoted by Autosport.

"Everybody came back from the Christmas holiday with a spring in their step.

"Everybody knows what the future is. There are no awkward conversations between the driver and the team. He knows exactly what his role is.

"We're all in it very much together as one unit, as one team.

"It can be awkward if that situation isn't clear during the course of the year, and F1 is a rollercoaster of emotions during the course of those 21 or 22 races.

"To have this out of the way going into the season not to deal with endless speculation, all the social media that goes with that, the unsettling it creates within your own workplace.

"It enables us just to really focus on the job and I'm delighted."

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