Max Verstappen's 'refusal' to give Christian Horner his backing before Red Bull axe
Christian Horner has been relieved of his duties as chief executive and team principal of Red Bull Racing in a huge Formula 1 shock to race fans worldwide.
Max Verstappen failed to back Christian Horner last year when he was put under the microscope in a Formula 1 scandal. The 51-year-old then Red Bull chief faced investigation last February over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague.
While Horner was eventually cleared of any untoward acts following an inquiry by an independent solicitor, the ordeal reignited when alleged messages from him were shared with reporters. During this tumultuous period, Jos Verstappen, Max's father, did not hold back on his viewpoint, voicing out his disapproval regarding the predicament Horner was embroiled in. Jos said: "It cannot continue this way. The situation is not good for the team and is driving people apart. He is playing the victim when he is the one causing problems."
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Max, meanwhile, opted to remain silent on the issue despite speculation that he had been prompted by Mohammed Ben Sulayem to publicly support Horner. It was reported by the BBC at that time that the FIA president had reached out for Max to advocate for Horner, with whom he has shared a robust alliance since joining forces with Red Bull in 2015.
Max found himself in a tricky situation, however, given the significant role his father plays in his career and his vocality on the matter. After securing pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix last year, he was grilled about how the allegations had impacted preparations and whether Horner was still the right person to lead the team.
In response, he said: "From my side, and, from the mechanics and engineers, we're fully focused on the car, and fully focused on the weekend which is how it should be and that is what we continue to do.
"It's not our business to get involved in that. We are paid to do our job, that is what we are out there doing, and that is what we love doing and that is what I focus on."
When asked if he still trusted Horner, Max replied: "When I look at how Christian operates within the team he has been an incredible boss so from the performance kind of things you can't question that. I speak to Christian a lot and he is fully committed to the team. He is here for the performance, and of course he is a little bit distracted, but we just focus on performance and that is how we all work together."
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Fast forward 16 months and Red Bull have confirmed Horner's departure from the team. A representative for GmbH, the parent company of Red Bull Racing, told Mirror Sport: "Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today. Laurent Mekies has been promoted from Racing Bulls to replace him as CEO."
Oliver Mintzlaff, head of Red Bull's sporting projects, added: "We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.
"Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history." Horner, who led Red Bull ever since their acquisition of Jaguar's F1 team in November 2004, is credited with transforming the racing team into a dominant competitor.
Mekies, meanwhile, said: "The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter [Bayer, Racing Bulls CEO]. It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people.
"The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning. Alan [Permane] is the perfect man to take over now and continue our path. He knows the team inside out and has always been an important pillar of our early successes."
Permane, stepping up as the new team principal after his stint as sporting director with the Racing Bulls, added: "I feel very honoured to take on the role as team principal and would like to thank Oliver [Mintzlaff] and Helmut [Marko] for the trust they have shown in me.
"I am looking forward to working with Peter to continue the good work that both him and Laurent have done in taking this team forward. This is a new challenge for me, but I know that I can count on the support of everyone within them."
