Christian Horner having too much power at Red Bull was a concern for the Max Verstappen camp: Reports

Christian Horner had been at the helm of the Red Bull Racing operations since the Austrian giant had taken over the dwindling Jaguar F1 team, but Max Verstappen's camp was unhappy with the Briton's massive power within the team, according to recent reports. The 51-year-old's hold over the team reportedly made the Dutchman's camp discontent with its functioning, leading to his eventual departure from Milton Keynes.

Horner had been a close ally to Red Bull's founder, Late Dietrich Mateschitz. After the Austrian's demise in 2022, the team was under Oliver Mintzlaff and the Thai investors' hegemony.

After Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior with a colleague last year, the Thai investors had shielded the Briton from being stripped of his position at the team, owing to their success under his leadership. However, rifts started developing between Horner and Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen.

While this situation was made to look all flowers and sunshine last year, the plight worsened in 2025 as Red Bull's downfall in performance worsened. With a mass exodus at the Austrian giant in light of the downward trajectory and Horner's resistance to let go of his powers, intra-team conflicts started to develop.

According to Auto Motor Und Sport, Verstappen's camp had been at the helm to drive the Briton out of power from the team. Christian Horner supposedly held too much power at the top of the leadership and had no intentions of diluting his authority, which led to rifts with the Verstappen alliance and his ultimate sacking.

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What did Max Verstappen's camp have to say after the axing of Christian Horner from Red Bull?

Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen (L) and Verstappen (R) arriving at the race weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

While Max Verstappen has yet to comment on the matter, it is known that the Dutchman is well aware of the scenario in Milton Keynes. His manager, Raymond Vermeulen, reacted to Christian Horner's dismissal from the Austrian squad, as he told De Telegraaf:

"We were informed in advance by Red Bull's management that this decision had been made. It's up to Red Bull to provide further explanation regarding the reasons. We continue to look at the sporting side and are looking for more performance so we can return to the top. In that respect, nothing will change."

Meanwhile, Christian Horner's departure from Red Bull means that the Milton Keynes-based squad will get its first new team principal since the team's formation in 2005. Laurent Mekies will fill the void at the squad, while Alan Permane takes over the Frenchman's role at Racing Bulls.

Thus, the Red Bull squad would host new senior faces at the upcoming F1 race in Belgium, where the team would already be under pressure to perform, as it's Max Verstappen's home race.