Christian Horner defends ‘hard-skinned’ Max Verstappen over FIA fiasco

Christian Horner defends Max Verstappen against penalties, highlighting his tough skin and criticizing stewards for their decisions.

Christian Horner defends ‘hard-skinned’ Max Verstappen over FIA fiasco

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Stewards in Mexico, including Johnny Herbert, criticized Max Verstappen‘s aggressive driving style during the Mexican GP, leading to multiple penalties. This sparked controversy, with some accusing the stewards of bias against the Dutchman and Christian Horner is also one of them.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has strongly defended Max Verstappen, arguing that the penalties imposed on the Dutch driver were excessive and unfair. He believes Verstappen’s aggressive style is essential to his success.

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Horner insists that stewards should focus on consistently applying the rules instead of targeting specific drivers. The 50-year-old stated that the stewards seem to attack the Dutchman from all angles, portraying him as the villain for making aggressive moves.

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Verstappen? They attacked him from all angles . In no other sport do you have a referee who gives interviews talking about the decisions he makes.

Christian Horner told SkySportsF1

Horner criticized Johnny Herbert for both his role as a steward and his decision to impose a 20-second penalty, believing Verstappen’s move was excessive.

He argued that Herbert’s opinions should remain private, as referees in other sports typically do not criticize players in interviews. The 50-year-old insists that stewards should remain impartial instead of sharing their views publicly.

Horner also noted that there’s a history of bias against the Dutchman in British media, which he felt was evident again when Herbert shared his thoughts in a Sky Sports interview. The team boss acknowledged that Verstappen has tough skin and will likely want to react forcefully this weekend.

I don’t think it’s right that the drivers don’t have their say on the matter either, but he has a tough skin and I’m sure he’ll want to react forcefully this weekend .

Christian Horner stated
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Christian Horner denies rumors of signing Franco Colapinto for Red Bull

Franco Colapinto‘s impressive performances at Williams have fueled rumors of Red Bull signing him for the 2025 season.

Christian Horner and Franco Colapinto
Christian Horner and Franco Colapinto (via IMAGO)

However, team boss Christian Horner completely denies these claims, recognizing Colapinto’s strong work and praising Liam Lawson’s performance at Red Bull. Horner emphasizes that the team has plenty of talent in its driver program and isn’t looking to hire anyone new right now.

Colapinto? Franco is doing a good job, but we have Lawson who is doing equally well and we have a lot of talent in the Red Bull programme. We keep an eye on all the drivers, but we certainly have no shortage of good drivers.

Christian Horner said

The Milton Keynes team may promote a driver from their sister team for 2025, but it’s still unclear who will partner Max Verstappen next year.

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Right now, Red Bull finds itself in a tight battle against its rivals. They’ve lost their lead in the constructors and currently sit in third place. With four races and two sprints left, the Austrian team has plenty of opportunities to score points and hopefully reclaim their top position.