Max Verstappen has broken his silence on swirling rumors that Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner could soon be sacked following the team’s disappointing start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Horner, who has led Red Bull Racing since 2005 and overseen over 120 Grand Prix victories, eight Drivers’ Championships, and six Constructors’ Championships, is facing mounting pressure as the team struggles this year. Red Bull currently sits third in the Constructors’ standings, with only one victory so far — a win delivered by Verstappen himself.
According to reports from Italian outlet AutoSprint, Red Bull’s Thai shareholders, led by Chalerm Yoovidhya, may lose patience if upcoming car upgrades at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix fail to revive the team’s competitiveness. Even more surprisingly, the team is rumored to be eyeing former Alpine boss Oli Oakes as a potential replacement for Horner.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the next Grand Prix, Verstappen dismissed the speculation and threw his support behind Horner.
“Christian has been a massive part of Red Bull’s success and also of my career,” Verstappen said. “We’re all frustrated with how this season has started, but the whole team is working flat-out to turn things around. We win together, we lose together. Right now, we just need to stay united and focus on improving the car — the rest is just noise.”
Despite the turbulent start, Red Bull remains hopeful that upcoming upgrades will help close the gap to McLaren and Ferrari. Meanwhile, PlanetF1 has reported that sources inside Red Bull have downplayed the rumors, calling the speculation over Horner’s future “unfounded” and describing the current challenges as a short-term slump rather than a crisis.
Horner, for his part, has remained calm under pressure, promising that the team will push to bring performance back to the RB21 car and reaffirm its place at the front of the grid.
With tensions running high and all eyes on Imola, the next few races may prove pivotal — not just for Red Bull’s title hopes, but for the future of one of Formula 1’s most successful team bosses.