Max Verstappen's family member drops huge bombshell to leave podcast host stunned after Christian Horner sacking

A member of Max Verstappen's family has dropped a huge bombshell after Christian Horner's shock Red Bull departure.

On Wednesday, shockwaves were sent across the world of F1 after it was confirmed that Horner had left his roles as team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing.

The 51-year-old was swiftly replaced by Laurent Mekies, who was team principal at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

Reacting to Horner's sudden departure, reigning world champion and Red Bull superstar Verstappen paid tribute on social media.

The Dutchman wrote: "From my first race win, to four world championships, we have shared incredible successes. Winning memorable races and breaking countless records. Thank you for everything, Christian!"

Over the last few weeks, Verstappen has been linked with a move away from Red Bull, and the likes of Mercedes and Aston Martin have reportedly shown interest in signing the 27-year-old.

Speaking recently, Nelson Piquet Jr, who is the uncle of Verstappen's daughter, dropped a huge bombshell about the Dutchman's future.

He said on the Pelas Pistas Podcast: "There are weekends this year when things just don't work out. There's not much to do about it.

"One of their drivers is a rookie, who was then unfortunately hit by Hadjar last weekend. In any case, it was not the weekend for Mercedes. But who knows what next year might bring when Max is driving there! He will race in Formula 1 in 2026. I think he will make a decision by August."

Max Verstappen has been linked with a move away from Red Bull. Image: Getty

Piquet immediately went quiet after that sentence, but the podcast host had already picked up on the comment.

Although he admitted that nothing has been contractually confirmed, Piquet stated that Mercedes is a logical choice if Verstappen were to leave Red Bull.

When asked who would be Verstappen's teammate at Mercedes if the blockbuster move does go ahead, Piquet said: "It will be Kimi Antonelli. If he goes there, it will be Antonelli."