F1 | Max Verstappen praises Christian Horner and explains Laurent Mekies’ impact at Red Bull
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen spoke candidly about his past and present relationship with former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, as well as the influence Laurent Mekies has had on the team: “People are smiling again, there’s a great atmosphere, and the team spirit has returned.”
Red Bull Racing experienced a chaotic 2025 season, with highs and lows that almost delivered Max Verstappen his fifth world championship. He ultimately missed out on the title by just two points in the final race.
While Max Verstappen remained the consistent cornerstone of the Austrian-British team, everything around him changed. After enduring the departures of key figures like Rob Marshall and Adrian Newey in previous years, Max witnessed Red Bull part ways with Christian Horner, followed by the exit of Helmut Marko at the end of the year. It marked a true revolution within the team.
At the end of the 2025 season, Max Verstappen spoke to Viaplay about several topics, including his continued relationship with Horner after the leadership changes. The former manager and the Dutch driver have remained in regular contact, speaking often both during race weekends and on holidays.
“I have to say that things were not going very well for the entire team, obviously, in terms of results. There was some unrest in the team. And when things don’t go well for a long time… in the end, even the shareholders wanted a change. Because they weren’t happy with how things were going. Eventually, they decided to implement a change and promote Laurent,” Max Verstappen explained.
“It’s always difficult. You’ve built a bond with Christian. You achieved so much together, especially in 2021, with those incredible moments. You never forget that. In the end, Christian really threw himself into the fire for me. These are always hard things to talk about on the phone.”
Max continued: “I’m in contact with Christian every week, every race. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Usually via text, but also on holidays, for example. Every week. He doesn’t give advice; he knows everyone in the team. It’s more about encouragement, saying things like ‘I believe in you.’ He’s my biggest fan. We’ve been through everything together. Also, ‘You can do it.’ These kinds of things. And beyond that, we talk about other stuff outside of racing. Yes, we talk every week, every race weekend, but also afterwards.”
Since Laurent Mekies arrived, Red Bull has made clear performance improvements, particularly from Monza onwards. However, because of his close bond with Horner, Max Verstappen emphasized both men’s contributions in a careful and respectful manner.
“When Mekies arrived, we improved, including the car. But I want to be cautious about how I discuss this. I don’t want to undermine Christian Horner. He also achieved great results with the team. And others need to do the same. He laid the foundations. When things aren’t going well, at some point, changes are made,” said Verstappen.
“Mekies always says that his contribution to the team is ‘zero.’ But that’s obviously not true. The team is performing well, there’s a lot of trust. You see people smiling, the atmosphere is pleasant. Everyone gets along. At one point, we were missing that. The Red Bull style had been somewhat lost, I would say vanished. Now, the team spirit has definitely returned. He brought that, along with laughter and positivity.”
Max Verstappen therefore credits Laurent Mekies for restoring the positive “Red Bull style” and team spirit that had vanished during a period of internal unrest. Despite the leadership change, Verstappen maintains a deep personal bond with Christian Horner, whom he still considers his “biggest fan” and a key figure in his career successes.
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