F1 News: Fans furious at Christian Horner after Max Verstappen remark

Horner in de MotoGP: "Deze coureurs zijn krankzinnig in wat ze doen" — Photo: © IMAGO

Christian Horner

Christian Horner causes uproar with remark about F1 champion Max Verstappen

Horner just cannot avoid controversy, wherever he goes

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Saturday 9 May 2026 18:57

Former Red Bull F1 team boss Christian Horner just cannot avoid controversy, where he goes.

The 52-year-old Englishman has been out of the sport since last July when he was fired by Red Bull after a glorious two-decade run with the Milton Keynes team.

Now rumours continue to swirl about a potential return to elite motorsport for Horner, with Alpine and Aston Martin tipped as potential landing spots.

Article continues under video

MotoGP has also been mooted as a possible route back in for Horner, and that speculation only increased when he rocked up at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.

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Horner stirs up Márquez/Verstappen controversy

Horner was at Jerez as a guest, with reports afterwards confirming that there has been talk of him potentially entering the sport. But it was a comment he made while visiting the Ducati team which provided yet another controversial storyline.

The context here is Marc Márquez, with Horner comparing the seven-time MotoGP champion to Max Verstappen, the man Horner himself mentored to four F1 world titles at Red Bull.

During his tour of the paddock, Horner visited the Ducati Lenovo Team’s pit box and met Márquez. In a video shared by the Italian team on social media, he made a comparison between the Spaniard and his former star rider at Red Bull. “So, is he your Verstappen?” he asked the team members.

That comment didn’t sit well with many fans. Social media erupted with reminders that Márquez had already won four world titles - including two in the premier class -well before Verstappen even made his F1 debut. “He isn’t MotoGP’s Max Verstappen; he’s Marc Márquez of MotoGP,” one outraged fan remarked.

"Así que él es vuestro Verstappen, ¿sí?" ?

Fue encontrarse con Marc Márquez en el box de Ducati... y a Christian Horner solo venirle una cosa a la cabeza ?

Disfruta del 'Inside' de Ducati en DAZN #MotoGP ? pic.twitter.com/5L51l1tlDW
— DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) April 30, 2026

Horner on future, and MotoGP rumours

Addressing the media in Spain, Horner explained that he’s looking to broaden his perspective.

“I’ve got a bit of time on my hands, so the MotoGP guys and the Liberty guys invited me to get a closer look,” he told TNT Sports.

“It’s great to come and see how the sport is doing and developing, and of course common ownership with Formula 1 now. It's just great to see the teams and riders and the enthusiasm that there is for the sport.”

Horner aso responded to the rumours that he could be considering a move into MotoGP, adding: “I’m liking what I see, but there's always gonna be speculation".

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Christian Horner