There was only one topic of discussion for those linked to Red Bull as the paddock reunited at Spa Franco Champ on Thursday.
The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix is already a history book race weekend as it will be the first Formula 1 race where Red Bull enters without Christian Horner as the team’s principal. Horner’s reign ended after his final race at Silverstone, and he was filled with many surprises at the timing of the decision from Red Bull shareholders.
Not everything, but not everything.
“I was surprised… At the end of the day, I think that could happen in this world,” Max Verstappen said. “And when they told me… they didn’t just say, ‘This is what we just decided.’ Then they’re hanging up.
“Now I don’t need to go into detail what they said, but I said, ‘OK, if I think this is the path to come, I think I’m a driver, you’ll decide.” And this is how we do it. ”
Perhaps Verstappen is always most likely to be most surprised given its close, practical knowledge of Red Bull’s form of decline. The Dutch future, like his father’s relationship with Horner, has been central to speculation for many years, but he distanced himself from the direct influence of the situation. Instead, he was open in his assessment of Red Bull’s current situation and wanted to give credit to Horner’s record as principal and CEO of the team.
“The management and of course the shareholders decided they wanted a change, and at the end of the day they run the team and I’m the driver,” he said. “So no matter what they decide, it’s entirely right to do what they want, and that’s basically how it happened.
“Sitting here now, you look back at 20 years of Red Bull and I think we have a lot of great years and great results. Now there are years that don’t go that well.
“The management decided that they would probably want to pilot the ship in a different direction, and everyone else agrees anyway and looks forward to it, and I am looking forward to it.
“Of course, there have been quite a few meetings with Laurent (Mekies, replacement as team principal as Horner’s replacement). It’s been a lot of hard work for him to jump in over the past two weeks.
“Looking back doesn’t make sense. It’s not going to make you faster. But at the same time, we’ve certainly been 20 years, and especially from my side, 10, 11 years when I was part of Red Bull.
“These things are always remembered. For example, my relationship with Christian doesn’t change. Of course, he’s not here on race weekends now. But it still seems like my second family.”
Verstappen has consistently carried his Red Bull to the top of the orders rather than suggesting that his teammates can do that, but has his patience faded? Clive Mason/Getty Images
Verstappen has made a steady comment in his comments this year regarding what he wants for the Red Bull, the more competitive car. He also constantly reiterated the need to work together as a team and take the right direction.
But recently, it was overshadowed by a lack of fire when asked about a potential move towards Mercedes. The possibility of Red Bull violating his future has left to the extent that several quarters directly correlate Horner’s removal with desire from Red Bull owners to keep Barstappen.
His future remains uncertain, but Verstappen was keen to point out that it linked to the fate of the team, not the person in charge.
“No, it’s not really (makes a difference to his stay or leaving),” Verstappen said. “Now I think people can have different opinions here and there, and I really hope that happens.
“I don’t think it’s important at all to my decisions in the future. The key is that we work in the car and make it as fast as possible. And, like I said, the last year and a half we didn’t want. He talked about having multiple discussions with the new Team Principal Meki and his motivation to improve Red Bull’s current direction to help him settle down during such a fierce period.
Horner’s departure was an earthquake moment in the history of Red Bull Race, but the four-time world champion says he has little effect on the operation and mood within the team.
“I think (the atmosphere) was good. Of course, when there is such a change, people on the first day say, ‘OK, what is going on?’ Luckily, the day after the announcement, I’m doing a simulator in the factory.
“We have to work on performance, set up the car here and make sure everything correlates in the best way possible. You focus on that. That’s my job. That’s also the engineer’s job. It’s about trying to find as many performances as possible.
Despite his clear desire to look to the future under Red Bull’s new leadership, Verstappen is still unable to escape questions about his own contract intent. Shortly after the announcement of Horner’s departure, Verstappen was in Sardinia at the same time as the principal of the Mercedes team, Totowolf, but neither of them denies the meeting, claiming that the situation was a coincidence.
“Well, I was swimming in the ocean at the time (of the meeting rumors). I don’t know. I really don’t care about these things,” Verstappen said. “I went on holiday with my friends, my family. There are more people on the island than me, Toto and my family. If you go to the same island, it can happen.”
Thursday’s comments felt like an attempt to move forward as quickly as possible from Horner’s removal, and perhaps represent a switch that gives hope for a turnaround turnaround in the long run. However, if Red Bull owners wish that recent developments would end the threat of losing star drivers, they would have to wait for the change in leadership to pay off.
