Max Verstappen arrives in UK following Christian Horner sacking

Defending F1 champion Max Verstappen has touched down in the UK following the brutal dismissal of his former Red Bull boss, Christian Horner.

Horner was sacked as team principal with immediate effect on Wednesday, July 9, with ex-Racing Bulls chief Laurent Mekies replacing the 51-year-old at the helm.

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Despite the team enduring a challenging 12 months both on and off the track, the announcement came as as a shock to everyone involved in the sport.

The decision arrived just days after another disappointing weekend at the British Grand Prix for the six-time constructors' champions, as Verstappen lost more ground in the drivers' title race courtesy of a fifth-place finish at Silverstone.

The Dutchman had made a quick getaway following Sunday's race as he went home to spend time with his family, but it was confirmed he was soon back in the UK after images of his private jet's latest journey surfaced on social media platform 'X'.

Speaking on Verstappen's first appearance at the Milton Keynes factory on Sky F1, reporter Ted Kravitz said: "We understand that Max’s private jet flew into an airport near to Milton Keynes and he might have been there anyway just for some simulator duties before,"

"We’ve got a couple of weeks break until the Belgian Grand Prix so he has to be there but he’ll be there just to reassure his engineers and to show his face to the staff that he’s still committed at least for the short term.

"We don’t know what his long term plans are but in this period of turmoil for the team in terms of their leadership, he’s there to show that he’s ready to work with the new boss Laurent Mekies."

Will Horner exit impact Verstappen Red Bull future?

Verstappen took to social media in the wake of Horner's exit to pay tribute to the man who played a major role in delivering his four drivers' championships.

Horner took Verstappen under his wing as a 17-year-old prospect, and helped transform him into one of the sport's all-time greats.

However, despite enjoying so much success with the team, Verstappen's own future at Red Bull has also been called into question throughout this season, with the 65-time race winner reportedly eyeing up his options elsewhere.

Mercedes are believed to be the front-runners to secure his signature should he opt to make a change, and the topic dominated much of the headlines going into last weekend's event at Silverstone.

With so much to focus on regarding his on-track struggles, Verstappen has refused to be drawn on the subject, but Horner's departure may be a deciding factor in deciding his future over the coming months.

READ MORE: New Red Bull F1 team principal announced after Christian Horner SACKED with immediate effect

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