Max Verstappen has stated that the recent departure of Christian Horner from his role as team principal will not influence his decision on whether to continue his career with Red Bull Racing. The reigning world champion addressed the matter for the first time ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen confirmed that the decision to part ways with Horner was made by the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH. He indicated he was informed of the move less than a day before it was announced publicly.
“The last 18 months haven’t unfolded as we had hoped, and management decided a new direction was necessary,” Verstappen commented. “They run the team, and I am the driver, so their decision is entirely within their rights.”
Despite the significant leadership change, the Dutch driver emphasized that his personal relationship with Horner remains intact. He described the former principal as being “like a second family to me.”
With Red Bull’s performance having fallen short of expectations for over a year, Verstappen’s future with the team has been a subject of intense speculation. However, he insisted that his primary focus is on the car’s competitiveness, not the personnel changes within the management structure.
“No, it doesn’t really affect my thinking,” he said regarding Horner’s exit. “My future decision won’t be based on that. We haven’t been where we want to be performance-wise for the last season and a half. The goal now is to become more competitive.”
Laurent Mekies, previously the principal of the sister Racing Bulls team, has been appointed as Horner’s successor.
