Max Verstappen Still in Contact with Christian Horner Following Red Bull F1 Departure
Formula 1, like many other motorsports, typically plays the game of take-or-leave-it, and loyalty is often the first casualty when the stakes are high. It’s a cutthroat business where team principals are only as good as their last race, and drivers are conditioned to look out for number one. When the axe falls, the relationships usually sever immediately. Phone numbers get deleted, and former allies become awkward acquaintances in the paddock.
But the dynamic between Max Verstappen and Christian Horner has always been an anomaly. Even months after the seismic shift that saw Horner removed from his post as Red Bull Racing’s team boss, the connection between the driver and his former mentor hasn’t just survived, but has remained surprisingly active.
The Unbreakable Connection with Horner
For those on the outside looking in, the sacking of Christian Horner in July was the end of an era. For Verstappen, however, the personal relationship didn’t end when the security pass was deactivated. The four-time world champion recently opened up about the frequency of their contact, revealing a level of closeness that is rare in elite sports.
Verstappen isn’t just sending a polite holiday card. He admits to being in contact with Horner every single race weekend. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the text messages are constant. It paints a picture not of a disgruntled ex-employee and a star driver, but of a mentor and a protégé whose bond transcends the corporate structure of a Formula 1 team.
“You’ve built up a bond with Christian and achieved so much,” Verstappen noted, reflecting on their shared history. “Especially in 2021, those moments too. You’ll never forget that. Christian really went through fire for me.”
That statement carries weight. The trenches of the 2021 championship battle forged a loyalty that corporate restructuring can’t easily undo. Verstappen describes Horner as still his “biggest fan,” sending messages of belief and luck before the lights go out, proving that while the uniform has changed, the support system hasn’t.
The Harsh Reality of the Split
Despite the warm personal sentiments, there is no escaping the cold reality of why the change happened. The final 12 to 18 months of the Horner era were marred by what insiders described as a toxic slide. It wasn’t just about lap times, though slipping to fourth in the pecking order certainly forced the shareholders’ hands. It was the atmosphere.
The internal environment at Milton Keynes had grown heavy. Following the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz, a power struggle ensued, compounded by allegations of inappropriate behavior and widespread unrest. The well-oiled machine that had dominated the sport was beginning to grind its gears.
Verstappen, usually one to keep his cards close to his chest regarding team politics, admitted that things were not going well. The “unrest” he describes is the kind that rots a team from the inside out. When the garage is unhappy, the car is slow. It’s a universal law of racing. The shareholders saw a team losing its identity and performance, and they made the hard call to bring in Laurent Mekies from the sister squad.
A Return to the Red Bull Way
It is a difficult needle to thread: maintain loyalty to the man who was fired while acknowledging that the firing led to a better workplace. Yet, Verstappen manages to walk that line. While he speaks glowingly of Horner the man, his comments on the current state of the team under Mekies are telling.
The “Red Bull style,” which Verstappen felt had been lost in the chaos of the final Horner months, has returned. The garage is lighter. The pressure, while always there in professional racing, is now fueling performance rather than anxiety.
“The team is doing well,” Verstappen said. “We have a lot of confidence. You see people smiling, it’s a nice environment, everyone gets along well, and we missed that at one point.”That admission that they “missed that” is the closest the Dutchman will likely get to criticizing the end of the Horner tenure.
It’s an acknowledgment that for the team to find its footing again, the air needed to be cleared. The result was a shock title bid and a runner-up finish to Lando Norris, a turnaround that seemed impossible during the slump earlier in the year.
Moving Forward While Looking Back
This situation serves as a reminder of the human element in motorsport. We often look at the data, the aerodynamics, and the strategy calls, forgetting that these teams are comprised of people. When the culture sours, the dynasty crumbles. Red Bull Racing appears to have righted the ship.
The smiles are back, the performance is trending up, and the “Red Bull style” is evident in the paddock. But for Max Verstappen, the man who helped build that dynasty is still just a text message away. It’s a testament to a complicated, messy, and ultimately human sport where you can agree with the decision to fire your boss, but still miss your friend.
