Max Verstappen responds to Christian Horner sack after finger pointed at ‘Team Verstappen’

Max Verstappen has insisted that he is merely “the driver,” with Red Bull’s management and shareholders behind the decision to sack Christian Horner.

It comes after Martin Brundle, the Sky F1 commentator, claimed that ‘Team Verstappen’ played a “key role” in the call to oust Horner after more than 20 years in charge.

Max Verstappen responds to Christian Horner Red Bull exit

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Christian Horner was relieved of his operational duties at Red Bull following the British Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen paying tribute to the outgoing team principal on social media in the wake of the announcement.

Verstappen was joined by a swathe of reporters at Spa-Francorchamps as he took in his media duties ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, with the four-time World Champion asked about the circumstances under which he found out about Horner’s exit.

The Dutch driver revealed he was told the news by senior shareholders at Red Bull around “half a day” before Horner’s departure was made public, and he has gone on to have several meetings with new team boss, Laurent Mekies, after his swift arrival.

While others, such as Brundle, have speculated about any potential role of ‘Team Verstappen’ in Horner’s exit, the reigning World Champion himself assured that those at the top of Red Bull are in charge by adding: “At the end of the day, they run the team and I’m the driver.”

Whatever happens from now, however, Verstappen added his relationship with Horner on a personal level “doesn’t change” and what he achieved with the team “will always be remembered.”

Given the team’s fall-off in comparative pace compared to McLaren over the past year, Verstappen was asked if he felt such a change was required at Red Bull.

“Well, I don’t know,” Verstappen told media including PlanetF1.com.

“At the end of the day, management and, of course, the shareholders, decided that they wanted a change and, at the end of the day they run the team and I’m the driver, so whatever they decide, it’s fully in their right to do what they want. That’s basically how it happened.

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“At the same time now, sitting here, you look back at those 20 years of Red Bull, I think we’ve had a lot of great years, great results.

“Now, of course, there are also years where it’s not going that well and I think the last one-and-a-half years have not gone how we would have liked, and management decided they wanted to see a shift in a different direction, probably, and then everyone else, of course, has to agree to that and look forward.

“I am looking forward because I had already quite a few meetings with Laurent as well.

“The last two weeks have been quite intense for him to jump in, but I’m equally also excited for the team now, moving forward, because that’s what we have to do.

“Looking back doesn’t make sense. It’s not going to make you faster.

“But at the same time, we do appreciate those 20 years, and especially from my side, 10, 11 years being part of Red Bull. Those things will always be remembered.

“The relationship between myself and Christian, for example, that doesn’t change. Of course, he’s not here now during a race weekend, but it’s still like a second family to me.”

While others, including former Red Bull driver Alex Albon, admitted to “surprise” at such an announcement, Verstappen remained level-headed when asked if he felt a similar shock to many others.

After a discussion with senior members of Red Bull staff, he is leaving it up to the team’s management for how best to proceed.

“Surprised? At the end of the day, I think in this world, things like that, they can happen,” Verstappen said.

“When they told me, it’s not like they just said ‘this is what we just decided’ and then you hang up the phone – you have a conversation about it.

“I don’t need to go into detail what they said, but [I] said: ‘Okay, if you guys think that is the way forward, I’m the driver, you decide’, and this is how we’re going to do it.”

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