'One of the greats'

His win made him the first driver since Kimi Raikkonen at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix to win from as far back as 17th on the grid.

"He was insane today," said his father Jos, a former F1 driver.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner described the world champion as "invaluable".

"It's impossible to put a number on that. That was a champion's drive. There are some great drivers out there, but to stand out and shine like that today — that marks him out, I think, with some of the greats now," said Horner.

"The way he's driven, and even when we've had a difficult car this year, he's never given up. He's gone about collecting the points, he's always trying to get the maximum out of the car."

Meanwhile, Jos Verstappen said his son's victory was a clear response to his English critics.

"I think Max was incredibly irritated," said Verstappen senior, referring to widespread criticism of Max's aggressive driving at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he was handed two 10-second penalties.

"So, he showed who is the very best — especially after the comments from the English journalists, those English ex-drivers and the commentators.

"Max was amazing today. I have experienced a lot with him, but today was one of the very best."

Verstappen senior said his son's win had been "very positive" for his bid for a fourth title.

"Let's hope," he said. "As we have seen, a lot can happen very quickly, but, with three races to go, we have a bit more peace of mind, so things are looking good."