F1 champion Max Verstappen issues 'difference of opinion' verdict in Horner sacking admission

max verstappen, jos verstappen, christian horner, red bull, 2023 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Max Verstappen issues 'difference of opinion' verdict in Horner sacking admission

Max Verstappen's father didn't have the best relationship with Christian Horner

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 24 July 2025 17:56

Max Verstappen has alluded to the 'difference of opinions' between his father and his old boss Christian Horner when talking about the latter's brutal sacking.

Horner was axed as Red Bull team principal earlier this month, after 20 years in the job and 14 world championship titles earned since the team's inception into the sport in 2005.

The Brit has been replaced by former Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies, with the outfit hoping a change in team principal will lead to a change in results.

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Red Bull are currently sat down in fourth in the constructors' championship, while four-time champion Verstappen has only been able to win two of the first 12 races of the season.

Verstappen's father Jos Verstappen was known to have a difficult relationship with Horner, and the pair had been publicly feuding for the last 18 months or so.

Now, Verstappen junior has issued an update on that scenario, downplaying the role it had to play in Horner's sacking.

"I think people can have a difference of opinion here and there, and I actually expect that to happen because if everyone always agrees there is a problem, we need to have differences of opinions," he said to media including GPFans ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner have been feuding since the start of 2024

"That’s something that now we’re working in a different direction, I’m excited about it, like you said I don’t think it will matter at all for my decision in the future, all that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it.

"The last one and a half years have not been where we want to be, now we try and be more competitive this year maybe a little bit, but also with the new regulations."

Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff gave an interview ahead of the Belgian GP suggesting that keeping both Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as their two drivers for 2026 was the 'priority', despite months of rumours linking Verstappen with a move to Mercedes.

With Wolff's comments ahead of the Belgian GP weekend, it's looking unlikely that Verstappen will be driving elsewhere in the 2026 season.

However, questions about his future will surely only intensify as the 2026 season progresses, with a number of teams not having tied their drivers down beyond the end of 2026.

Mekies' main port of call after replacing Horner will likely be to prove to Verstappen that Red Bull can still provide him with a car that can challenge for world championships, as to avoid any more speculation about the four-time champion's future.

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