Max Verstappen's getting ugly and he needs Christian Horner to rein him in

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen in deep discussion — Photo: © IMAGO

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Max Verstappen's getting ugly and he needs Christian Horner to rein him in

There's been a lot of changes at Red Bull, and is Verstappen struggling to cope?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 5 April 2026 08:53

Max Verstappen is F1's best driver. Not just because of his talent, but also because of his no-nonsense attitude, his unfiltered honesty that procured his popularity and sustains it to this day.

If you want the truth, you'll most certainly get it from Verstappen, particularly on the subject of the 2026 cars.

At first it was shocking. Phrases like 'Formula E on steroids' and 'Mario Kart' all make great headlines; but when it's every weekend, every interview in the press pen, when it's making retirement seem like an actual possibility?

At what point do you think: It's time to take 20 pence out of the machine and have a little hush.

Your opinion on Verstappen at present probably depends on your stance towards the new regulations. Hate them, he's a welcome addition to your echo chamber. Indifferent or in favour of them, well...Verstappen's wave of resentment might just start to become a little tiresome.

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Verstappen himself is probably weary of the predicament he finds himself in, not only hating his day job, but also winding up as the default mouthpiece at Red Bull.

When he delivered that BBC interview in Japan - clearly so eager to talk he went beyond the allotted questions - his unbridled soliloquy was less reminiscent of a racing driver (slick and PR trained) and more of a team boss.

It's unsurprising, after all, Verstappen knows no other way than to fight through the media. Christian Horner and Helmut Marko were experts at this, airing any dirty laundry (metaphorically) to the press and allowing their star man to focus on what he does best. Driving.

But now they're both gone, and there's no one left to get ugly. It's certainly not Laurent Mekies' style and besides, no one in the Red Bull team has the time to get all sassy in the press while they're, you know, trying to get the car to work.

So instead it's fallen to Verstappen to pick up where Horner and Marko left off. But, just because he can, doesn't mean he should.

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Verstappen knows he's bigger than F1

The sticky truth is that Verstappen's negativity is a unwelcome presence afflicting Red Bull. Trying to carry on as normal while there's the very real threat your star man could leave at any moment, aren't exactly the conditions that inspire success.

What Verstappen needs right now isn't to let loose on the media and continue to throw branches on the bonfire of speculation, but someone to put a hand on his shoulder and say: 'Max, I'll sort it. Don't worry. You just focus on the driving'.

Marko and Horner were such figures, they were his trackside support system. In their absence, there's no one left to reassure Verstappen that his position is in Formula 1. That there is nowhere better to race, that F1's the only series you can fight against the best and where there is no sweeter victory than on its global stage.

Instead, Verstappen's lack of restraint in the media only reinforces his own negative standpoint with no one there to yank him out of his self-imposed spiral. But worst of all, without a Horner or a Marko, Red Bull cannot prevent Verstappen from pulling the pin and throwing a grenade over F1's reputation.

Fair enough you can be unsatisfied with the regulations, and the past three rounds have certainly shown us that something fundamentally needs to change. That cannot be denied. But to create such a public crisis, to dangle retirement over F1 and basically demand that 'if things don't change I'll leave' isn't healthy for both the driver or the sport.

Horner and Marko's presence at Red Bull maintained the illusion that Verstappen wasn't bigger than the team. Now there's no one left to rein Verstappen in and the monster of Red Bull's creation is running amok - just look at that journalist incident at Suzuka. The four-time champion doesn't just know he's bigger than the team, he's also certain he's bigger than F1.

To paraphrase George Michael egregiously, he needs a 'preacher, teacher' he needs a 'father figure'. Without one, a premature end to Max Verstappen's F1 career is inevitable. And who knows what collateral damage there will be along the way.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Christian Horner Helmut Marko