ABU DHABI -- Dressed in a t-shirt proudly pronouncing Max Verstappen as the 2021 world champion, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner marched towards the stewards' office on Sunday night to defend the very slogan stamped across his chest.
Just four hours earlier, Horner had stood on the Abu Dhabi podium celebrating Verstappen's first world title. In normal circumstances he would have been walking down the red carpet at one of Red Bull's legendary after parties by this time, but as the clock crept towards 11 PM the champagne was still on ice.
Throughout the weekend jokes had been cracked about how this year's epic title battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was destined to be decided in the stewards' office.