New details emerge on Jos Verstappen’s row with Christian Horner before his F1 exit. New details confirm a heated argument between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner at Silverstone.

The Clash Really Happened
Multiple reputable sources have reconstructed the events that took place inside the Red Bull Racing camp in the days leading up to the shock dismissal of team principal and CEO Christian Horner. The tension between Jos Verstappen—father of four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen—and Christian Horner had already been reported by F1-Insider, who were the first to reveal that a heated altercation had taken place at Silverstone on Saturday evening. The report, which described the exchange as “unfriendly,” was published Sunday around 9:00 PM, when there were still no clear signs that Horner’s removal was imminent.

Once the announcement of Horner’s departure became official, The Telegraph added more context to the unfolding drama. According to eyewitness accounts, Jos Verstappen had been seen arguing loudly with Paul Smith, Red Bull’s Head of Communications, and later with Christian Horner himself. The disagreements reportedly centered around how Smith was handling media relations—specifically, who he was speaking to and what he was saying on behalf of the team.

This detail provides a likely explanation for Smith’s sudden departure from the team, which coincided exactly with Horner’s ousting. The timing of both exits points to deeper internal tensions that had escalated rapidly behind the scenes.

A Prophetic Threat
The German newspaper Bild also confirmed this version of events in a report published the following Friday. According to their sources, Jos Verstappen made agitated gestures during the confrontation and pointed his finger directly at both Horner and Smith. In a moment that now appears prophetic, he allegedly told Horner, “I’ll put pressure on you, Christian.” There is still some uncertainty regarding the exact timing of the argument—Bild places it on Sunday evening after the British Grand Prix—but Horner’s dismissal officially took place on Wednesday.

More Insider Details
Over the past few weeks, Bild has consistently published insider information regarding the Red Bull leadership crisis, often ahead of other major outlets. The Berlin-based publication was the first to report on Christian Horner’s past contact with Ferrari and even managed to secure an interview with him shortly afterward. Most notably, Bild broke the news of Horner’s dismissal minutes before he informed the staff at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory—beating even Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf, one of the best-connected reporters in the Formula 1 paddock.

According to Bild, the pivotal meeting that sealed Horner’s fate took place in a luxury London hotel suite, where he was informed by Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko and Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments at Red Bull GmbH, that he would be removed from his positions after two decades at the helm. The timeline of the decision adds more weight to the theory that this move had been in the making for some time.

During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Mintzlaff reportedly initiated discussions about Horner’s exit in a meeting with Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz—two key figures within Red Bull’s ownership—along with Helmut Marko. The group met again on Zoom the following Monday, where Mateschitz confirmed the intention to dismiss Horner the next day.

Why Horner Was Removed
Bild reports that the decision to part ways with Horner was not solely based on sporting results. One of the biggest issues cited was the excessive concentration of power that Horner had accumulated over the years. In addition to serving as team principal, he was also overseeing the power unit division and had assumed control of marketing operations for both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Although he was recently forced to relinquish the latter role by the company’s senior leadership, the overall situation had become untenable.

Another clue came on July 2, when Horner may have sensed that the tide was turning against him. At a clay pigeon shooting event held on his Oxford estate for about 40 invited guests, both Max Verstappen and Chalerm Yoovidhya were notably absent—an omission that likely raised red flags for the long-serving team boss.

Even Bild confirmed the argument with Jos Verstappen, again placing it on Sunday evening. While it remains unclear if the clash was the tipping point, it’s now certain that the tension between key figures within the Red Bull structure played a significant role in the sudden unraveling of Christian Horner’s reign.