SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Red Bull team chief Christian Horner on Monday said Max Verstappen has taken 鈥渁nother step鈥� since winning last season鈥檚 world title following his remarkable triumph in Sunday鈥檚 Belgian Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Dutchman鈥檚 outstanding drive from 14th on the grid, having taken a penalty for a new power unit, to a sumptuous victory ahead of teammate Sergio Perez, who started second, was hailed by all corners of the paddock.

Horner was effusive in his praise for Verstappen who has taken a runaway 93-point lead ahead of Perez in the drivers鈥� championship, with Ferrari鈥檚 Charles Leclerc third, a further five points adrift.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e witnessing a driver that is completely at one with the car and is in an absolute purple patch of his career,鈥� he said.

鈥淪ince winning that championship last year, Max has taken another step. It鈥檚 in many ways released him and he鈥檚 driving now at an incredible level.

鈥淢ax was quite simply in a league of his own and not just in the race, but all weekend.鈥�

Horner said Verstappen鈥檚 win was one of Red Bull鈥檚 鈥渂est-ever鈥� performances, while special adviser Helmut Marko said they needed only 鈥渢wo or three鈥� more wins to secure the title.

鈥淭he goal for us now is clear because we want to finish first and second in the championship for the first time in our history,鈥� said Marko.

鈥淎nd we need to win two or three more to make sure we are safe.鈥�

Both men also jokingly thanked Mercedes for pushing for the new technical directive introduced to control porpoising and bouncing which has seen Red Bull increase their dominance over their rivals.

鈥淥n the face of it, I鈥檇 have to thank Toto (Wolff, Mercedes team chief) for the TD (technical directive) ... But, in all seriousness, I think this circuit played to our strengths,鈥� quipped Horner.

鈥淧erhaps it鈥檚 hurt others more than it鈥檚 hurt ourselves so we haven鈥檛 changed the way our car operates.鈥�

Horner pinpointed Verstappen鈥檚 maturity in tip-toeing through the chaos of the opening lap, when Lewis Hamilton retired after colliding with Fernando Alonso鈥檚 Alpine in one of two crashes, to lay the foundations for a stunning victory.

鈥淎mazing performance by Max,鈥� said Horner. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 greedy at the start, he was very patient, particularly down at Eau Rouge, and he just picked his way through it.

鈥淗e threaded his way safely through the field.鈥�

Verstappen explained that his opening lap ambition was merely to survive. Yet, he made up six places.

鈥淭he first lap? The thing is that I knew with the car we had, you don鈥檛 want to risk too much,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, then, it鈥檚 even harder to stay out of trouble.

鈥淎nd people were going off in the gravel, coming back on the track, and they are defending their spot. I was literally just trying to stay out of it, but you also don鈥檛 want to lose too much time...

鈥淚t was super-hectic and there was so much dirt as well. I pulled off my tear-off because I barely could see anything because everyone was just going on the grass, on the gravel, but we survived without damage.鈥�

It was more than survival by Verstappen.

His cool drive, crushing victory and lead in the title race has reduced the next eight races to a likely demonstration of Red Bull鈥檚 proven superiority en route to ending Mercedes鈥� run of eight consecutive constructors鈥� titles.

As they arrive at Zandvoort this week, for Verstappen鈥檚 home event, Red Bull lead with 10 wins and 475 points to Ferrari鈥檚 four and 357, with Mercedes third on zero and 316. A festival is expected in the Dutch sand dunes on Sunday.