Christian Horner reveals Verstappen family dynamics and technical gaps

The Verstappen family dynamic

I find Horner’s reflections on the Verstappen family dynamics revealing. He says Max Verstappen still seeks his father’s approval in everything he does and notes that Jos Verstappen, because of his Formula 1 profile and the intense enthusiasm in Holland, possesses a "big voice." In his upcoming book, Drive, Horner describes Jos as Max’s "biggest critic" who helped keep him in check during his formative years. This relationship caused tension for Horner as team principal, as he had to represent Red Bull interests. Jos once demanded the team prioritize Max after the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, which prompted Horner to say the team was not "Sergio Perez Racing or Max Verstappen Racing." Horner also notes that Helmut Marko called Jos "a nightmare" when the team first discussed signing Max. In the Netflix series Drive to Survive, Horner said that Max’s father "has never been my biggest fan," although he did not believe the Verstappens were responsible for his dismissal in 2025. During 2022, Horner told Sergio Perez that the team was geared to win with Max as the lead driver and that Perez had to accept this if he wanted to remain in a top team. Sergio had no contract and was talking with Sauber for the following year.

Technical offsets and teammate struggles

Max Verstappen’s "abnormal" skill creates a technical gap for his teammates. During the 2022 season, Max’s management told Red Bull they had to follow Max’s "needs" after the team developed the car around Sergio Perez’s driving style. Horner recalls a meeting in Azerbaijan where management said, "Look, you’ve developed this car around Checo. You need to be following what Max needs." This preference for more front end makes the car difficult for others, a problem Horner says appeared in the 2021 car and the 16B. While Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Liam Lawson all lost their seats, and Perez left after four years and five wins in 2024, Isack Hadjar has shown more consistency. During the "Daniel Max era," the car was benign between the two drivers, but later development focused on Max’s specific requirements. Max demands more front end from the car and can cope with whatever the rear does, which creates an offset for others. Alex Albon developed the 2022 car in a way that suited a more classic driving style, similar to Sergio or Daniel, which caused Max to hate the car’s understeer early in the 2022 season. Isack Hadjar, who secured a place alongside Verstappen for 2027, still feels an "offset" between his capabilities and those of Max.

The engine project and Horner’s exit

Horner’s dismissal after the 2025 British Grand Prix followed a 2024 scandal involving a colleague. Although an independent investigation cleared him of wrongdoing, he was relieved of his duties. Despite this, Horner claims his leadership of the Red Bull Powertrains project remains a major achievement. The project, which converted a bubble wrap factory into an engine facility in 55 weeks, produced a competitive unit for the 2026 rules cycle. The engine won its 16th race in 2026 when Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and followed that with a sprint race and main event victory in Singapore. This success was aided by the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities mechanism, which accounts for the performance of the internal combustion engine. Following these victories, Oliver Mintzlaff and Red Bull shareholders independently thanked Horner for what he built. I think these achievements demonstrate the effectiveness of the group Horner assembled, even if he no longer leads the team. Horner noted that Dietrich Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya deserved credit because people within the team asked "Why the hell are we doing this?" when the project started.