Verstappen maintains regular communication with Horner

In the quiet weeks after the 2025 Formula 1 season ended—a heart-pounding campaign that saw Max Verstappen fall just two points short of a fifth consecutive world title—the Dutch superstar sat down for his traditional end-of-year interview with Viaplay.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The lights were soft, the questions probing, and as always, Max was candid. But one topic stood out amid reflections on epic comebacks and near-misses: his relationship with Christian Horner, the man who had been Red Bull’s team principal for two decades until his shock sacking midway through the year.

The interviewer leaned in. “Christian’s departure was huge for the team. Do you still keep in touch with him?”

Max paused for a moment, a small smile crossing his face as he thought back to the battles they had shared—especially that ferocious 2021 title fight against Lewis Hamilton, where Horner had backed him through every controversy and corner.

“Yeah,” Max replied simply. “Every week. Every race.”

The room seemed to hold its breath. In a sport where loyalties shift like tire compounds, this was a revelation. Horner had been ousted in July, replaced by Laurent Mekies amid internal turmoil and a dip in performance. Many assumed bridges had been burned. But no.

“We text a lot,” Max continued. “On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays during the weekends. He’s still my biggest fan—sending messages like ‘Good luck’ or ‘I’m believing in you.’ We talk about the races, sure, but also about everything we’ve been through together. Christian went through fire for me back in the day. Those moments, especially 2021… you never forget that.”

He spoke with genuine warmth, no bitterness toward the team’s decision to move on. “Things weren’t going well for a while—results, some unrest—and the shareholders wanted change. It’s business. But what we built? That’s personal.”

As the interview wrapped, Max’s words lingered like exhaust in the air. In the high-pressure world of F1, where team principals come and go and drivers chase glory under new banners, some connections prove unbreakable. Horner might no longer be in the garage, calling the shots from the pit wall, but every race weekend, a buzz on Max’s phone reminded him: the bond was still there, fueling him forward into 2026 and beyond.

And in a season of dramatic twists, perhaps the most enduring story wasn’t on the track — it was the quiet loyalty between a four-time champion and the boss who helped forge him.