Max Verstappen's camp possibly played a role in Christian Horner's sacking, claims former Red Bull ally

Gerhard Berger believes that the Max Verstappen camp within Red Bull may have played a role in Christian Horner’s dismissal. Speaking to Krone Zeitung, the former Austrian F1 driver suggested that removing the long-serving team principal and CEO might have been a strategic move to retain the reigning world champion.

With ongoing speculation linking Verstappen to a potential move to Mercedes, rumours have circulated that his camp issued an ultimatum to Red Bull, allegedly demanding Horner’s departure as a condition for staying with the team.

Berger feels that Horner’s abrupt sacking could well have been influenced by Verstappen’s presence and leverage within the team. He also noted that Red Bull appears to be entering a downward spiral in terms of performance and believes the Milton Keynes-based outfit will now need to focus on rebuilding.

Speaking about the reasons behind Horner’s dismissal from Red Bull, Berger said:

“That could certainly have been one of the factors that tipped the scales. Because as we know, the Verstappens and Horner were not the best of friends. I do think Max will stay at Red Bull. You could see it was going this way at Red Bull Racing. If Horner was really surprised, that's a bad sign, because even as an outsider you could have guessed it. It's much more about stabilising the whole team at the moment and getting Max Verstappen back into it properly. Red Bull Racing is currently in a downward spiral. Now the goal should be to rebuild the team properly.”

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Max Verstappen could destroy Kimi Antonelli as a teammate, according to Johnny Herbert

Johnny Herbert believes that Max Verstappen could potentially derail Kimi Antonelli’s career if the two were to become teammates at Mercedes. Speaking to Escapist Magazine, the former F1 driver suggested that sharing a garage with the reigning world champion could have a similar impact on the young Italian as it did on Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda during their time at Red Bull.

Herbert likened the challenge of going up against Verstappen to facing legends like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso. While he acknowledged that Antonelli could benefit from learning alongside Verstappen, he expressed doubt over the 18-year-old’s ability to match or outperform the Dutchman at this stage in his career.

Commenting on the hypothetical scenario of Max Verstappen being Antonelli’s teammate at Mercedes, Herbert said:

“Antonelli could learn from Verstappen, but that was always the argument you could make with Albon, Gasly, or even Tsunoda. They don't do it. They can't. They get completely crushed. There's a chance that Antonelli will be crushed. That can happen when you compete against drivers like Schumacher, Senna, Fernando [Alonso], and now Max.

“The difference is, sometimes you have a teammate you can beat occasionally. Then comes a top driver, who essentially does mega pole laps, like Max did at Silverstone. That's the difference with Antonelli. George leads the team, if you want to describe it that way. Kimi can learn, but that's a risk. I think his personality hasn't emerged yet. He seems like a very nice guy. Is he a George with something in him that means he could stand up to Max? No.”

Max Verstappen’s future with Red Bull has once again come under scrutiny after his yacht was spotted in Sardinia. Ralf Schumacher had previously hinted at a potential post-British GP meeting between Toto Wolff and the Dutchman on the Italian island. Radar sightings later showed Verstappen’s plane and yacht in the vicinity, alongside Wolff’s yacht, further fuelling speculation. While Red Bull has dismissed Christian Horner from his role, it remains uncertain whether Verstappen will remain with the team, especially amid reports suggesting ongoing discussions with the Mercedes team principal.