Horner claims Max Verstappen ‘needs’ conversation impacting Red Bull still

Christian Horner lifted the lid on a conversation with Max Verstappen’s management which he believes still troubles the second Red Bull seat to this day.

Recalling a Baku 2022 demand from the Dutchman’s management to follow his “needs” after a strong season start from Sergio Perez, Horner discussed the “abnormal” skill possessed by Verstappen which, in addition to Red Bull’s facilities of the time, complicated the task for the second driver. He believes Isack Hadjar is still feeling this to a certain degree.

Christian Horner told follow Max Verstappen ‘needs’

For many years, the struggles experienced by various drivers as Red Bull teammate to Verstappen attracted attention.

Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Liam Lawson all lost their seat. Perez managed four years and won five grands prix in that time, but ultimately left at the end of 2024 after his form collapsed.

Appearing on the High Performance Podcast, Horner, who spent two decades as Red Bull team boss until being axed after the 2025 British Grand Prix, was asked if it was fair to say that the second Red Bull seat was not handled well during his tenure.

“Sometimes yes and sometimes no,” he replied.

“You look at the longevity that Mark Webber had, or you look at Sergio did four years with us, or Daniel [Ricciardo], five years.”

Adding that Gasly, Albon and Lawson were all promoted “too soon” to his mind, Horner shed further light on Verstappen’s preferences behind the wheel which also impacted life for a Red Bull teammate.

“Obviously during the Daniel Max era, the two started very close, and the car was pretty benign between the two of them.

“I would say it started in 2018. Max is tremendously demanding for what he wants, and he has a skill that is abnormal, that he demands more and more front end from the car, and he can just cope with whatever the rear does.

“Now, in pursuit of that goal to give him that tool, inevitably your engineering department, your tools, your development focus goes down the route of creating that characteristic in a car, which others found difficult to handle.

“We saw it in the ’21 car, in the 16B, or even the car before with Alex.”

In a recent appearance on the same podcast, Perez said Horner had told him from the start, ‘We go racing with two cars because we have to.’

Horner claims this was “not quite right,” but he revealed a potent conversation which he previously had with Verstappen’s management, regarding Perez.

The early rounds of 2022 suggested that both Red Bull drivers could have been in contention for the title. Verstappen eventually ran away with it.

“It was very clear,” Horner continued. “Sergio had no contract. He was talking with Sauber for the following year.

“I said to him, ‘Look, you have to recognise that this team is geared around trying to win a world championship with Max as the lead driver. So long as you accept that from the word go, that if you’re in a position to win a race, and what you do on the track, fine, but if you’re not, you will be asked to support your teammate, because that is our best way of beating Mercedes.’

“And he was desperate to sign on the dotted line for that because it was putting him into a car and a team and a top team that he felt after his McLaren time, he would never get that chance again.”

Horner added: “What was interesting to me, so during ’21, Alex Albon did a hell of a job in the background developing the ’22 car because so much focus was on the ’21 car developing it until the last moment.

“Alex had developed that car, and it was very much around his style of driving, which was a much more classic way of driving that was probably more akin to a Sergio or a Daniel.

“And so when we started the ’22 season, if you remember that Max hated the car; it had too much understeer in the car. Sergio, with that predictability, suddenly they were winning a race apiece, and they’re much closer at the start of that year.

“And I remember sitting down with Max’s management around Azerbaijan that year, and them saying, ‘Look, you’ve developed this car around Checo. You need to be following what Max needs.’

“It was very clear, the message that was coming down the line.

“And of course Max is the prime asset. He’s the driver you’re most likely to win with. So of course any engineering team will gravitate just naturally towards their fastest driver, or a team will gravitate to whoever they think is going to be able to give them the best result.

“I think it exposed some of the weaknesses in our tools, that the windtunnel wasn’t reliable or up to speed enough, and some of our simulation wasn’t.

“So inevitably the characteristics, even to today, you still see it that there is an offset between what Max can get out of the car and Isack, who’s done a super job this year, but there is still that offset.”

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But, as Horner importantly notes, Hadjar has impressed in F1 2026 following his Red Bull promotion, restoring the consistent points finishes which had been lacking over recent years.

Such is his form, the young Frenchman has already been confirmed as staying alongside Verstappen for F1 2027.

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