Max Verstappen Responds to Red Bull’s ‘Shift’ After Christian Horner Axe

Max Verstappen pointed out that Red Bull's sudden sacking of Christian Horner was likely due to the team's downfall in performance.

Max Verstappen Responds to Red Bull’s ‘Shift’ After Christian Horner Axe

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (via Total Motorsport)

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Red Bull is working under Christian Horner‘s absence for the first time since the 2005 season. Even though Horner’s problematic personal life caused him problems in leading the outfit, he remained an integral part of the squad. Now with Horner gone, the team will have a more distributed leadership as they head into an unknown phase in Formula 1. Max Verstappen reveals how the team has ‘shifted’ in terms of management and handling now that the Briton is out of the picture.

Christian Horner‘s final couple of years at Red Bull had been extremely troublesome. Even though Horner gave it all to his team, the alleged power struggle between him and Helmut Marko caused problems for the outfit. Moreover, Horner’s alleged sexually transgressive behavior towards a female employee further caused many people to lose their trust in the leader. Though, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

These problems involving Christian Horner, coupled with an ever-so-worsening performance, was followed by a mass exodus of key figures. Adrian Newey left Red Bull for Aston Martin, similarly, Jonathan Wheatley left to lead Sauber and ultimately Audi in Formula 1. Many other crucial people left the team as this further meant Horner was unable to effectively lead the Austrian outfit. Max Verstappen accepted that the 51-year-old’s final few years were nothing short of a disappointment.

Max Verstappen revealed that the final few years, especially the past one and a half years, didn’t go as the Red Bull GmbH management would have liked. This caused the executives to lose interest in continuing with Horner as the leader. Verstappen pointed out that because of these problems, the management decided to steer the ship in a different direction and try out something new. The Dutchman acknowledged that the Red Bull crew had to accept this decision and move on with their life.

I think the last one and a half years have not gone how we would have liked, and management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction, probably. And then everyone else of course has to anyway agree to that and look forward.

Max Verstappen said, as reported by Adam Cooper/X

Max Verstappen reveals when he was informed about Christian Horner’s sacking

Max Verstappen’s long-time manager, Raymond Vermeulen, had already revealed that the Dutchman’s camp focused on their performances and not the ongoing politics at Red Bull. While Christian Horner’s sacking was sudden, Verstappen and Co. were looking to get the Briton fired if the team wished to retain him in their squad. Although these rumors suggest that the 27-year-old had a massive role in Horner’s sacking, he revealed that he was informed of the decision only half a day earlier.

Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, and Helmut Marko
Christian Horner, Max Verstappen, and Helmut Marko (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen pointed out that he wasn’t very surprised when he found out about Christian Horner’s Red Bull axe. Verstappen revealed that the executives not only shared the news about the Team Principal’s firing, but they also informed him of the team’s wider vision heading into the future. Following this meeting, the Dutchman agreed that if the stakeholders believed this to be the best way to move forward, then he was on board with it.

I heard about it half a day earlier. The shareholders told me. [Am I] surprised? Well, in this world, these things can happen. When they informed me, they didn’t just say this […] they shared their vision for the future with me, and then I said, ‘Okay, if you think this is the best way, then we should go in that direction.’

Max Verstappen said, as reported by Motorsport.nl

Red Bull will now focus on achieving success under the new team principal in Laurent Mekies. The Frenchman has led RB through multiple ups and downs, and now the sister team more seems stable than ever. Hence, Milton Keynes will hope to find great stability and performance improvement with Mekies as Max Verstappen continues to give it his all.

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