Max Verstappen Makes Shock Christian Horner Revelation Amid F1 Return Rumours

Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen has made a rather interesting admission about his former boss, Christian Horner, following the Brit’s sacking.

Horner, 52, had worked with Red Bull since 2005 – the team’s first season in F1 – but was sacked in July 2025.

The 52-year-old was the subject of allegations of inappropriate behaviour a year earlier, with a female employee accusing him of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Horner was twice cleared of the claims – after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, before a second lawyer dismissed the complainant’s appeal.

Since then, Horner has been linked with a potential return to F1 with Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell explaining how the 52-year-old has been “ringing up pretty much every team owner” to ask about a potential return in 2026.

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Christian Horner left Red Bull in July 2025 (Credit:Getty)

A report from ESPN claimed that Horner does not want to be a Team Principal like he was at Red Bull and would be interested in “seeking business partners” who might help him buy a stake in a team, which then would present an avenue for him to return to the sport.

Meanwhile, following Horner’s exit and Laurent Mekies arrival, Red Bull and Verstappen saw an upturn in their form in the second half of the 2025 F1 season, with the four-time world champion eventually narrowly missing out on a fifth successive triumph as he finished second behind McLaren’s Lando Norris by just two points.

In a recent interview with Viaplay, relayed by Autosport, Verstappen admitted that throughout the early part of 2025, “there was a bit of unrest in the team”.

The 28-year-old then turned attention to Horner and described him as someone who “went through fire” for him, causing a “bond” between the pair.

Max Verstappen and Christian Horner have a close relationship (Credit:Getty)

Then, when asked if he remains in contact with Horner, he added: “Every week, every race. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday and usually via text message. But also on holiday, for example. Every week.

“Of course, he knows everyone in the team, but it's more about ‘I wish you good luck’ and 'I believe in you’ - biggest fan.

“What we've all been through. But also, ‘you know you can do it’. You know, all that kind of stuff, and outside of that, of course, you talk about things other than racing, too. Yes, every week. Every race weekend. Even after his contact."

The 2026 F1 campaign will get underway in Melbourne in March, with Verstappen looking to claim back the title, but whether Horner will be involved remains to be seen.