Max Verstappen breaks silence on Christian Horner's Red Bull sacking

Max Verstappen has taken to social media to thank Christian Horner after the Englishman was sacked by Red Bull. It was confirmed on Wednesday morning that the 51-year-old, who has been at the helm with the F1 team for 20 years, was departing with immediate effect.

Verstappen, 27, joined the Red Bull junior team in 2014 after testing a Formula Renault 3.5 car. He was elevated to the main team two years later by Horner, before dramatically winning his first world title in 2021. He then retained his crown in the three seasons that followed, but the prospect of a fifth title this year looks remote with a 69-point gap between him and leader Oscar Piastri.

Posting on X, Verstappen 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!"

He also included a picture of the pair embracing after a Grand Prix win to his 3.9million followers. That's despite the reigning world champion having voiced his frustration this season at the team's downturn in form.

In March last year, Jos Verstappen, the father of Max, called for Horner to be removed from Red Bull after being accused of 'inappropriate behaviour' by a female employee. The 53-year-old said the team was "in danger of being torn apart" if he was allowed to continue in his role.

However, following two internal investigations, Horner - who denied the allegations throughout - was cleared of any wrongdoing. There have since been frequent reports of tension between him and the Verstappen family though, with the driver recently implying he was weighing up his future.

Following today's news, Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen admitted he had been warned Horner's dismissal was imminent, but stopped short of paying tribute. "We have been informed in advance by Red Bull's management that this decision has been taken," he told De Telegraaf.

"It is up to Red Bull to give a further explanation as to the rationale. We continue to look at the sporting side and are looking for more performance so that we can return to the top. In that respect, nothing will change."