Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner is thrilled to have witnessed how the team's hard work paid off after Max Verstappen wins his first Formula 1 title.

The 2021 Formula 1 season has come to a dramatic end as Red Bull driver Max Verstappen beat his arch-rival and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen and Hamilton have been going toe-to-toe throughout the season but according to Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner, the Dutchman's maiden Formula 1 championship was just the end-result of the team's years of consistent hard work.

“The first five years were all about building and then we started winning and we won everything for four years, even though two of those years went down to the wire and then 2014 comes along,” Horner reflected via “The High Performance Podcast.”

“Suddenly we're second best, but we're not just second best. We're second best by miles. And everybody's been used to winning. Everybody's been used to going to races and you know, if we're not winning, we're competing for the win,” he continued. “And suddenly we were nowhere and you could feel the energy dipping. And of course, then people become a little bit disgruntled and you become easy to be picked off by some of your competitors.

“So that period was all about retaining the belief that we'll get this sorted out.”

Verstappen has put an end to Hamilton's championship streak, denying the Mercedes driver from copping his fifth Formula 1 title in a row. The pair is expected to continue where they left off next season as the new champ reportedly already told Hamilton that he is open top doing it again.