2023 ’must be frustrating’ for Vettel - Horner

Christian Horner says watching the 2023 season unfold "must be frustrating" for former four-time Red Bull world champion Sebastian Vettel.

On the one hand, with 35-year-old Vettel having retired at the end of last season, Red Bull’s new sensation Max Verstappen is now utterly dominating Formula 1.

But even the German’s most recent team, Aston Martin, is now enjoying the podium after almost every grand prix of 2023, after Fernando Alonso replaced Vettel at the end of last year.

In his two years with the same Silverstone based team, Vettel managed just a single top-three finish.

"It must be frustrating for Seb to see how well Aston Martin is doing this year," Red Bull team boss Horner told the German magazine Sport Bild.

"He didn’t have an easy time there. But the truth is that without Seb, Aston Martin would not be where they are this year. He has his share of their success.

"And I’m sure he’s still enjoying the time with his family," Horner added.