Max Verstappen issued Christian Horner defence before Red Bull sacking

Max Verstappen defended former Red Bull boss Christian Horner's management of the team, days before he was sacked. 

Horner was dismissed after 20 years at the helm of Red Bull on Wednesday, July 9th, but claimed that no official reason had been given after a brief WhatsApp exchange with Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle.

Horner, one of the most successful team principals in F1 history with 124 race wins and 14 championships in total, was removed from "operational duties" by Red Bull GmbH in Austria, with Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies assuming his responsibilities as the new Red Bull team principal and CEO. 

Under Horner, Red Bull had been unable to arrest an alarming slide in performance which began in mid-2024, with Verstappen winning only two races in the final 14 after seven victories from the first 10. 

This came after the crushing 2023 season in which Verstappen won 19 of 22 races, shattering a host of F1 records in the most dominant season of all-time. 

Speaking six days before Horner's sacking, Verstappen defended the management of the team during the performance slide.

"It is always easy to say when things are going well, you say: 'Oh, the management is working,'" Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365. 

"If you asked the question back in 2023, what is the best way, you would say: 'Red Bull is doing great, so everything is working well. 

"So it is easy [to blame the management], but it is something I don't think is negative.

"The balance issues this year have been a bit better, but in some areas we are a little bit weak, and in low-speed corners, we are not that good. 

"Particularly in the medium speed, that is where McLaren is really strong and we are not able to match that."