Max Verstappen revealed he has remained in contact with his former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner since his Formula 1 departure.
The four-time world champion, who narrowly missed out on a fifth consecutive title in 2025, shared these intimate details during an end-of-season interview with Viaplay, painting a picture of unwavering loyalty despite Horner’s dramatic sacking in July 2025.
This disclosure comes at a pivotal moment as the F1 paddock gears up for the revolutionary 2026 regulations, with Red Bull navigating uncharted territory under new team principal Laurent Mekies.
Verstappen’s relationship with Horner was forged over nearly a decade that delivered unparalleled success, including his four drivers’ championships and multiple constructors’ titles.
However, tensions simmered the atmosphere at Milton Keynes since early 2024 when allegations against Horner surfaced, leading to public spats involving Verstappen’s father, Jos, and whispers of team instability despite his clearance from any wrongdoing.
This was exacerbated by Red Bull’s sharp decline from invincible force to midfield contender in 2025, a season where Verstappen finished runner-up by just two points, while the team slumped to third in the constructors’ standings behind Mercedes and McLaren.
Persistent issues with the RB21 car, characterized by a narrow performance window and operational blunders like pitstop errors in Miami and Bahrain, eroded confidence among shareholders who demanded change after months of unrest.
By mid-2025, with results faltering, Horner was relieved of his dual roles as Red Bull team principal and CEO, securing a multi-million-pound payout—reportedly over £100 million from his contract which was set to expire in 2030.
Max Verstappen claims the 52-year old, who steered the team since its F1 inception in 2005, stood by him through controversies and on-track battles that defined the early 2020s dominance.
“Things weren’t going very well for the whole team,” the Dutchman told Viaplay. “In terms of results, there was a bit of unrest in the team and when things haven’t been going well for a long time.
“In the end, the shareholders also wanted change because they weren’t happy with how things were going either. Ultimately, it’s always difficult. You’ve built up a bond with Christian and achieved so much – especially in 2021, those moments too. You’ll never forget that.
“Christian really went through fire for me. Those kinds of things are always difficult when you talk to each other on the phone.”
Confirmed: Max Verstappen’s new number for 2026 F1
Top 10 greatest F1 rivalries in history
When Verstappen was asked if he still keeps in contact with Christian Horner he replied: “Every week, during every race on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“He sends me messages, for example, but we also keep in touch during holidays. It’s more about him saying: ‘I wish you the best of luck, and I believe in you. I’m your biggest fan, blah blah’, but also about what we’ve all been through.
“In those kinds of situations and beyond, you also talk about things other than racing. We are in contact every race weekend, even after his dismissal.”
While Horner’s Red Bull sacking was followed by a huge improvement in performance, Verstappen was cautious about taking a similar view.
“I want to be careful about how I express that, I don’t want to disparage Christian, because he has obviously achieved a great deal in the team, and others have yet to achieve that,” he said.
“He also brought people into the team who helped us achieve this, and when things aren’t going well, you see changes happening in other sports too.“
READ MORE:
Sergio Perez’s viral interview on Red Bull: Being Max Verstappen’s teammate is the ‘worst job in F1’
Confirmed 2026 F1 car launch dates: When will teams reveal their new liveries?
