Horner hits back after Brown makes Verstappen exit prediction

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has issued a punchy response to Zak Brown after the McLaren CEO made a prediction about Max Verstappen.

Brown recently theorised Verstappen will exit Red Bull at the end of the current campaign and join Mercedes.

Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli do not have a contract in place for next year while Verstappen has consistently been linked with a Red Bull exit over the last 12 months despite having a deal in place until the end of 2028.

Horner brushed off Horner's comment, telling Viaplay: “Everybody’s entitled to an opinion. We’re quite happy with the pool of drivers that we have.”

Horner then took another shot at Brown by alleging he was recently calling up a Red Bull driver despite having contracts in place for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

“Apparently he was ringing up one of our drivers the other week,” Horner said. 

“So if you were so happy with your own drivers, why would you be making that call?”

Red Bull and McLaren were engaged in a title fight last year with Verstappen taking his fourth title while Norris had to settle for the runner-up spot.

As he dismissed Brown's prediction, Horner asserted Red Bull will look to do its fighting talk on the track.

“I think it’s just hot air, to be honest,” he added. “We don’t really pay too much attention to it.

“You keep your head down, you get on with your job. The best way to do talking in this business is on the track.”