Racing icon puts ‘100%’ blame on Max Verstappen for Christian Horner’s exit

Juan Pablo Montoya was confident that Max Verstappen's future must've played a role in Red Bull's decision to sack Christian Horner.

Racing icon puts ‘100%’ blame on Max Verstappen for Christian Horner’s exit

Max Verstappen and Christian Horner (via Red Bull Content Pool)

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Red Bull Racing shocked the sporting world when it announced the sudden exit of Team Principal Christian Horner. The 51-year-old was effectively sacked from his role with immediate effect. While no official reason was given for his departure, rumors hint at the Max Verstappen‘s discontent over the team’s downturn in performance. Now, former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya has asserted that Verstappen must’ve played a role in this decision.

The reigning world champion is rumored to be unhappy with Red Bull’s current state. It is believed that Max Verstappen could join Mercedes as early as next season if things don’t improve at Milton Keynes. Moreover, the Verstappen camp has never been happy with Christian Horner, particularly since last year. So much so, that there were reports that the 27-year-old wanted him gone from the Austrian team entirely.

Juan Pablo Montoya was adamant that Red Bull must’ve ‘100%’ thought about Verstappen before sacking Christian Horner. The Columbian reckoned that Milton Keynes was completely revolving around the reigning world champion. After all, Verstappen has been the sole driver fighting at the front for the team since Daniel Ricciardo‘s exit in 2018.

For me, this is 100% about Max. It all revolves around Max, in whatever direction.

Juan Pablo Montoya said on MontoyAS podcast

Moreover, Montoya pointed out that before Horner’s departure, Red Bull went through an exodus of talent. Big names like Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley decided to join rival teams, creating a vacuum in the team structure. The former F1 star wondered whether Christian Horner’s presence was stopping new faces from joining Milton Keynes.

Look, they lost Adrian Newey, and they’ve also lost [Jonathan] Wheatley, so they’ve lost a big part of the leadership within Red Bull, of the whole structure. And maybe they struggle to fill those roles or to attract the right people, and maybe people simply didn’t want to work under Christian or his structure at the moment.

Juan Pablo Montoya stated

Max Verstappen’s ally Helmut Marko controls ‘everything’ at Red Bull

Dr. Helmut Marko and Christian Horner were the two big guns at Red Bull Racing. Following, the Briton’s exit, Marko has undoubtedly gained more prominence within the team. Though, it is Laurent Mekies who is now filling in for Horner’s role. Max Verstappen has a strong relationship with Helmut Marko. However, it is unclear what happens next within Milton Keynes.

Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Getty)
Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Getty)

Juan Pablo Montoya questioned whether Helmut Marko would decide to stay at the team after Horner’s exit. The Columbian pointed out that the 82-year-old essentially controls everything within the team. This would not allow someone like Mekies to truly lead the team. This could indeed make things difficult for the team, particularly if Max Verstappen shows his support for the Austrian veteran.

The interesting thing is: what happens now? Okay, it happened, but does Helmut stay? Whoever takes over that role will want to get everything under control, and at this moment, Helmut has control over everything: the drivers, the entire system. Unless Helmut was also involved in making this decision, it’s super interesting, because it raises a lot of questions.

Juan Pablo Montoya explained

Certainly, Red Bull is bound to stay in its current state of turmoil for the time being. No team can get past such a chaotic period easily. The main thing for Milton Keynes to focus on is to ensure that Max Verstappen continues to get a good car in the coming races. Moreover, the Dutchman must be convinced to stay at the team for next season.

Read More: “Not a Football Team,” Ex-F1 Team Boss Warns Red Bull over Turnaround After Christian Horner Exit