What Nico Rosberg said to Jos Verstappen over Christian Horner sack talk

Martin Brundle’s chat with Jos Verstappen about Christian Horner’s Red Bull sacking was interrupted by Nico Rosberg, who seemed unimpressed with Verstappen’s answers.

Red Bull sacked Horner from his position as Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO three weeks ago, a bombshell decision that had pundits questioning Team Verstappen’s role.

Nico Rosberg quizzes Jos Verstappen: Now you’re quiet?

Horner’s departure came after a tumultuous 18-month period at Red Bull, during which Max Verstappen’s father Jos called for the team boss to resign as he warned that Red Bull would “explode” if Horner remained in charge.

Publicly criticising the team principal several times, Brundle claimed in the aftermath of the Horner announcement that the Verstappen camp had played a “key role” in Red Bull’s decision.

“What’s absolutely clear is that the Verstappen camp have been lobbing in hand grenades for quite some months now, and some of them have gone off, and it’s been pretty relentless in that respect,” said the Sky F1 pundit.

“And I think at times, Max’s dad, Jos, has made it absolutely clear that he thinks Christian shouldn’t be leading the company and leading the team.

“So I would say, yes, they played a key role in Christian’s exit.”

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Brundle has since walked back those comments, but he had the chance to ask Verstappen about his thoughts on Horner’s departure when he spoke with the former F1 driver during his traditional gridwalk ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

“Big changes in the team,” Brundle said. “Are you and Max and everybody happy with where it’s going so far?”

Verstappen replied: “Well, they decided to change so I’m fine with everything. So as long as it works.”

2016 World Champion Rosberg jumped into the conversation: “Last year, you said Horner need to go.”

Verstappen said: “That was one and a half years ago. It’s different. I have nothing to say. It’s fine.”

Rosberg: “Now you’re quiet?

Verstappen joked: “I’m always quiet.”

Brundle quickly moved the conversation onto the upcoming race.

It wasn’t the first time during the Spa weekend that Brundle and Rosberg delved into the Red Bull situation and Horner’s abrupt exit.

Rosberg put it to Brundle that Verstappen’s father gave Red Bull higher-ups an ultimatum over Horner.

“One year ago, the Verstappen camp, Max Verstappen’s dad, said Horner has to go now. He’s going to destroy this team. Do you think that played a role now? Verstappen said to Red Bull, either Horner goes, or we go to Mercedes,” said the German.

Brundle said “absolutely”, after all, he feels Jos Verstappen has been the defacto team boss since the start of the 2024 season.

“Absolutely,” he said, “I think since Bahrain last year, I’ve almost considered Jos as the team principal of Red Bull. It’s become a one-driver team, and I think that’s something they’ve got to fix.

“There’s no way the hierarchy in Austria would have done… the Verstappens would have bought into this, they wouldn’t have been blindsided, so there’s no way that Max will now be leaving the team because of that. They would have ensured that before they made that move with Christian.”

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