Verstappen says he still texts Horner “every week” — and credits him for walking through fire
Max Verstappen hasn’t cut the cord. More than half a year after Red Bull dismissed Christian Horner in the aftermath of the British Grand Prix, the four-time world champion says he remains in regular contact with his former team boss — and still leans on Horner’s support on race weekends.
“Every week, every race,” Verstappen told Viaplay of their exchanges. “Friday, Saturday and Sunday, mostly by text message. But also on holiday, for example… Even after he left.”
Horner’s tenure will be argued over for years, but the ledger is clear: six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ crowns under his watch, split between Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen. He was abruptly replaced mid-2025 by Laurent Mekies, promoted from Racing Bulls as Red Bull looked to steady a shaky season.
By then, Verstappen had only two victories to his name in 2025. He responded by winning six of the final nine and very nearly stole the title at the last, losing out to Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi as McLaren’s new champion sealed his first crown. The gap in the end felt more like a mood than a number.
That late surge didn’t change the backdrop inside Milton Keynes. The team had been unsettled. Verstappen didn’t sugar-coat it.
“Things weren’t going particularly well for the whole team,” he said. “In terms of results, there was a bit of unrest in the team… In the end, the shareholders also wanted a change because they weren’t happy with how things were going either.”
The Verstappen–Horner axis was always more than driver and boss. It survived the political weather, the long shadow of Jos Verstappen’s public criticism, and the high-wire act of 2021. When asked to reflect on Horner’s exit, Max reached for loyalty first.
“You’ve built up a bond with Christian and achieved so much — especially in 2021… You never forget that. Christian really went through fire for me,” he said. “Things like that are always difficult when you talk to each other on the phone.”
Their messages now are simple — and constant. Horner, Verstappen says, became the “biggest fan” after he left. “‘Good luck’ and ‘I believe in you’… ‘You know you can do it.’ All that kind of stuff, and apart from that, of course, we talk about things other than racing.”
If that sounds sentimental, the rest is strictly business. Verstappen also made clear the culture had drifted before Mekies arrived — and has since snapped back.
“The team is doing well,” he said. “We have a lot of confidence. You see people smiling, there’s a great atmosphere, everyone gets on well with each other and that’s something we missed at one point. The Red Bull style had been lost or gone a bit. That has definitely returned.”
Mekies, a calm operator with a reputation for detail, appears to have re-lit the room without dimming Verstappen’s edge. And that might be the real story heading into 2026: Verstappen content, the factory cohesive, and a Red Bull program that rediscovered its voice after a bruising year.
It’s also a reminder that eras in F1 don’t end neatly. Horner’s record is bolted to Red Bull’s history, his fingerprints all over Verstappen’s ascent. Yet the next chapter sits with a driver at the peak of his powers, a team rediscovering its rhythm, and an old boss still buzzing the phone on Fridays.
Not quite closure. But very much Red Bull.
